The Norwegian band culture is unique. Especially when it comes to the spread of school bands, Norway is in a special position. Much thanks to the Norwegian volunteer spirit, says the Secretary General of the Norwegian Band Association.
/ 16/05/2019 / Kristian DugstadText, photo and video: Kristian Dugstad / TONO
From Nordkapp to Lindesnes and from Slottsplassen to Svalbard Church in Longyearbyen. On National Day, it hardly matters where in the country you are, the traditions are usually the same. Popsicles and sack races, wreath cake and fiery speeches. At the heart of the party – a band that sets the tone for the throng of people.
– May 17th is and will continue to be an important day for marching band music. Norway's National Day, and what it means to people, makes it very special. At the same time, it is important to say that the National Day celebration is one of the many activities of the year, but it is probably when we are most visible, says Karl Ole Midtbø, Secretary General of the Norwegian Band Music Association (NMF).
Bluebirds and birdsong – Yes. Here in Norway, the school band's first outdoor marching practice is one of the surest signs of spring. It is often here that children across the country get to try out a musical instrument for the first time. According to Midtbø, this is unique.
– Our school band tradition is unique. The fact that so many schools have a band is quite special. I think that the number of band musicians in Norway, compared to the population, must be among the highest in the world. Remember what all school and amateur bands are founded on: volunteerism and volunteer work. This is a fairly unique Norwegian phenomenon.
With so many bands and band musicians, there is a lot of music, and not least a lot of sheet music. The music publisher Norsk Noteservice is responsible for the lion's share of the publications of sheet music and arrangements for bands in Norway. They publish everything from textbooks to arrangements for beginners, school bands, amateurs and professionals. Like Midtbø in NMF, publisher Odd Steenberg has warm feelings for the band community.
– 7-year-olds and 80-year-olds, boys and girls, all playing together on teams. Where else do you find that?
It is Tuesday evening and the weather is warm when the Sinsen Youth Band sets up outside Sinsen School in Oslo. The last marching exercise before May 17th is an almost two-hour loop around Løren. The band moves rhythmically through the streets, watched from the sidelines by an attentive gaze. The band's musical director is Frank Brodahl.
– It's like in sports, you have to play well with each other, play as a team. Here there are all types of people and all age groups. It's inspiring.
Brodahl currently plays in the Norwegian Wind Ensemble, but the renowned trumpeter has been the musical director of Sinsen UK since 2006. The band is one of Oslo's most well-known, and has regular assignments at international matches and football Cup finals, among other things. They also play pop music.
– The band was founded 55 years ago by defectors from the Sinsen Music Corps. There were a number of young musicians who were tired of only playing traditional repertoire. It is actually enshrined in Sinsen UK's bylaws that we should not play standard marches, says Brodahl.
Watch our report from Sinsen UK's last marching exercise before May 17. The story continues below the video.
Those who are in Oslo, or follow NRK's May 17 broadcast from Slottsplassen, can experience the Sinsen Youth Corps in the children's procession, twice. The repertoire includes music by Jahn Teigen, Knudsen & Ludvigsen, Trond Viggo Torgersen and Queen. Publishing band arrangements of pop songs is an important part of the work of Norsk Noteservice and Odd Steenberg.
– I think about 60 percent of what we release is music that was not originally written for a marching band. At the same time, the classic marches never go out of style, and every single year we sell the Old Hunter's March. But that's what's fun: It's not enough to just have uniforms and medals, you have to have something fun to play.
And there is no doubt that it is being played. From the grassroots school bands all the way up to the international band elite, where Norwegian musicians are making a name for themselves, says Karl Ole Midtbø of the Norwegian Music Federation.
– There is also a steady influx of new band music from younger composers, while we have old, great treasures such as the Bojarenes Inntogsmarsj by Johan Halvorsen, and the Valdresmarsj by Johannes Hanssen. The latter was named Norway's national march during the Year of Bands, in 2018, he says.
Not only is Norway a great band nation, Frank Brodahl of Sinsen Youth Band believes that band culture is very important for Norway as a music nation in general.
– There are so many Norwegian musicians at an international level, and most of them come from the band environment. Think of Leif Ove Andsnes and Ole Edvard Antonsen. It is clear that it must come from the folk soul. Just like with skis on our feet, we are born with an instrument in our hands.
