Vidar Skrede
Sunday, Sept. 29, 7pm
Seman Violins (4447 Oakton, Skokie)
$15 at the door for a concert, followed by a session of tunes
I know this one will be great. I met Vidar Skrede during my visit to Helsinki last fall. He’s a powerhouse of a musician from Haugesand, Norway, now living in Finland. His background is the traditional music from Rogaland (South West of Norway), but he also has a masters degree in Nordic folk music from the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. He is best known from his work with such bands as the Dynamo Band, Geitungen and The Secret Carpet Club. This summer he has toured the Midwest in The Blue and the Blonde, a duo with Jutta Rahmel (from Kardemimmit, a quartet featured at the Chicago World Music Fest).
Vidar is a master of both the hardingfele and the flatfele. The first is the eight-string hardanger fiddle that features four (sometimes five) sympathetic that run under the fingerboard. The second is the flat or regular fiddle. His mastery extends to the guitar and mandolin.
But let the tunes speak for themselves. (More can be found on Vidar’s MySpace.)
Bullaremarschen
Halling frå Lysekil
Reinlender (on guitar; see below for a live version in another key)
Here are a couple of tunes from an incredible session at the Musta Kissa (Black Cat) bar in Helsinki last October. The session was organized by accordionist Tejia Niku, who was a Fiddle Club guest in 2010 with the Polka Chicks. Antti Järvelä (Arto’s cousin) was there with a mandolin. (Antti, any time you want to visit Fiddle Club, just let me know.) Gail Tyler played some banjo uke. I was doing my best to keep up on fiddle as Vidar led the way on guitar.
Johan på Loftet aka John in the Hayloft
Griffenfeld (perhaps named after Peder Griffenfeld)
Reinlender (guitar; in A dorian, aka 1 sharp)
For more great tunes from Vidar, click here!
Music notation for most of the tunes is here.
ABC notation is here.
(Click your pick.)
Fiddlers, guitarists, folk music lovers &c. Don’t miss this one.
Paul Tyler -convener
Fiddle Club of the World, Chicago Chapter
