New Britain herald., 1916-06-07

Singing Society "Orphei Drangar,"
 Springfield, G. A. Soderlund, Dir. Chorus "Brollops-Stass'
 arr. and partly composed for this
 Festival by Edward Lindh of
 Lund University, Sweden
 E. Div. A. U. s. S., orchestra and (a) 'Vallpgelat" -. Bror Beckman (b) "Skogen Solver" ....... AlfVen (c.) Tanker Du Att Jag -Forlorader
 ar" " Swedish Folksong (d) "Fjorton Ar Tror Jag Vist Att
 Jag Va" .. Swedish Folksong
 Mme. Marie sundelius. ''Norrland" ......... Stenhammar Singing Society "Verdandi," Provi-
 dence, o. Ekberg, Director (a) "Anitrias Dance (from Peer
 Gynt Grleg (b) Norwegian Dance ....... Grieg Orchestra.
 Chorus (a) "Sjofararen Vid Milan
 .............. Palmgren
 (b) ''Varsang -. Prins Gustaf
 E. Div. American Union Swedish Singers
 Largo Al Factotum from Op. Bar
 Der of Seville ..... Rossini
 
 "Stockholms Skarpskyttemarsch Singing Society 'Harmoni,' Boston,
 R. w. Lofstrom, Director God Natt' Apt
 S. F. of A. Glee Club, Worcester,
 Gustaf Berg, director. "Se Saran Rose'' ......... Arditi
 Mme. Marie Sundelius. ..,Til1 Hafs" ........ Ali Berg
 Swedish Glee Club, Brooklyn,
 Carl Sylvan, Director. "Landkjending' ........... Grieg Solo. Chorus. Organ and Orchestra.
 Soloist Joel Mossberg "America" (Unisont)
 Soloists-Mme. Marie Sundelius, soprano; Joel Mossberg, baritone; Ernst Francke, director-in-chief E. Div. A. U s. S.; Robert H. Prutting, director of orchestra; Henry Bonan- der, accompanist.
 History of Swedish Singing
 Dr. Ernst T. Fromen has prepared the following history of Swedish singing.
 The history of Swedish song ex- tends far back into the time of sagas and legends. The mythology Of the North relates, how the Gods in their festival hall, the Valhalla, had with them the God of Poetry and Music, Brage, who, accompanying himself on his celebrated harp, sang of the YalorOus deeds of the brave Warriors and Vikings, when they, after day of fighting and with all their wounds healed assembled in the evening around the festival table
 The old traditions were lived up to in the middle ages and in the follow ing centuries, when the beautiful Swedish folksOngS were composed, scngs sung and admired even in our days.
 Beginning with the celebrated epoch in Swedish history, which brought forth such renowned kingly heroes as GustaVus AdOlphus, Charles the tenth and Charles the twelfth, we can trace the origin of the Swedish male chorus. At that time the young students of the gymnasia and the universities used to travel around the country during their vacations and with their singing, in towns and in country villages, earn a little money for their support during the coming school year. But first with the dawn Cf the nineteenth century do we find the students singing chofrs developed into organizations, resembling them ot today. It was in Upsala, the seat of Sweden's oldest .univerity, that the students choir first became re- nowned, mainly through it's first cele- orated leader, Haeffner. and later through Prince Gustav, the son of King Oscar the first, and Gunnar Wennerberg, both leading composers Cf student songs. Their songs were 1mmedlately received with enthus ;2s1n, for in them was expressed in words and music the patriotism, the faith, the JOY and the eXuberant spirit of youth, qualities that ever since have been and always. we hope will be the power and the strength of the 1 Swedish songs
 And with these songs the young students started out, like modern | vikings. to get homage not alone l from their own countrymen, hut from | other nations as we'll. In the year l 1867 they went to the Capital of l the World,' Paris, and won the first 1 i,rizc in the singing competition ar l ranged in connection with the ex l position held there. They repeated 1 their triumphs in Paris in 1878 and , 900 and in the meantime they also Berlin, St. Petersburg (pardon me, petrograd) and London. Then came l singing tours to America in 1904 by 1 Lund University Singers and in 1907 l ty the Y. M C. A. singers Tn the summer of 1914, just before the war, male elite chorus. 100 voices strong, i