More Celebrations
 Photo Album: Many Celebrations |
This has been a week of celebrations, with something different happening nearly every night. I don’t have any pictures from Monday night, so there probably wasn’t a concert or a party on Monday.
Last Sunday, the Fuglafjørður Brass Band (called a Horn Orchestra in the Faroe Islands) celebrated their 40th anniversary by giving a concert in the Fuglafjørður Culture house. It was a delightful evening with a wide variety of music. One of my favorites was a ponderous tuba solo, with the small trumpet player playing circles around the tuba (figuratively and literally). I didn’t know there was such a wide variety of music written for a horn orchestra.
On Tuesday, the Fuglafjørður church was filled with people who came for a hymn sing. The Faroese radio station recorded about 15 hymns - ones that are favorites in the Fuglafjørður church. If we made a mistake, we would have to go back and sing it again. During the past year they have done this in five or six different churches in the Faroes. The program will be broadcast at a later date.
On Wednesday, I drove to the town of Toftir, about 20 minutes to the south on Eysturoy, for a concert by a choir from Denmark. During the spring and summer months, there are a variety of musical groups who come to the Faroes and give concerts in various churches here.
On Thursday, the Fuglafjørður Kommuna honored Niels Midjørd on his 60th birthday by sponsoring an evening of music at the Culture House. Niels was the architect who designed the Culture House, and all of the performers were people whom Niels had sung or played with. It was a fun evening, ending with desserts, of course.
On Friday, there was an organ concert at the Fuglafjørður church, part of the 25th anniversary celebration for the new church building. Four organists from Faroese churches played for the concert, including Heðin, our Fuglafjørður organist. Wonderful music!
On Saturday, I attended a birthday dinner for Niels, along with about 150 other friends and relatives. The Fuglafjørður choir sang several pieces, one of them by Niels. This was a typical Faroese celebration with lots of music, speeches, good food, and rich desserts.
Today I went to a birthday party for 11 year old Esmann - not so much music, but lots of good food and rich desserts.
I think I have mentioned that Faroese people enjoy celebrations. They really do!