THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC!

The Swedish National Day Celebration
14 September 2022

Tonight´s event is a night of Swedish music.

Take a deeper look into the journey of the history of Swedish music.

Introduction to the Swedish National Day

The Royal Family during the National Day celebrations at Skansen. Photo: Henrik Montgomery/TT

The 6th June - The Swedish National Day!
Normally, the King and Queen of Sweden take part in a ceremony at Skansen, Stockholm’s open-air museum, on the National Day. The yellow and blue Swedish flag is run up the mast, and children in traditional peasant costumes present the royal couple with bouquets of summer flowers.

Skansen's founder Artur Hazelius initiated Sweden's National Day on 6 June 1893, but it was not until more than twenty years later that the tradition spread to the whole of the country.

Wholesaler Nils Ljunggren suggested holding a flag day in 1915. The following year, Swedish Flag Day was commemorated at Stockholm Olympic Stadium and at more than a hundred other locations throughout Sweden. It was on this occasion at Stockholm Olympic Stadium that 'Sweden's Flag', composed by Hugo Alfvén with words by K. G. Ossiannilsson, was first performed.

The tradition of the monarch presenting standards to associations began in 1918, and has continued almost every year since then. King Carl XVI Gustaf first took part in the celebrations at Stockholm Olympic Stadium in 1949.

In 1963, the celebrations were moved to Skansen. Swedish Flag Day officially became Sweden's National Day in 1983, and 6 June has been a public holiday since 2005. The date was chosen because Gustav Vasa was elected King of Sweden on this date in 1523 by a parliament in Strängnäs, and the Instrument of Government was signed on this date in 1809.

Ref: kungahuset.se

The Swedish National Anthem, Du gamla, du fria, was written in 1844 by Rickard Dybeck. The author of the lyrics chose a Swedish folk tune from the province of Västmanland (central of Sweden) to set his words to create the anthem and entitled it “Sång till Norden” (Song of the North). The song was created at a time when a “pan-Scandinavian” movement was strong, which is why it is a “Song to the North” instead of just to Sweden. This has led to other verses being written that are more patriotic to Sweden, but these additional verses have never gained popularity and have never been considered part of the national anthem.

In the late 19th century the anthem started to be considered Sweden’s “national anthem”. The anthem has never been officially legislated as Sweden’s national anthem.

Source: nationalanthems.info

History - Swedish Music

Around the 17th century, Swedes played melodies on instruments like the nyckelharpa and the fiddle. The nyckelharpa, or the “key fiddle,” is a traditional instrument, that traces from the instrument’s existence on a church relief in Gotland. Though it was widespread in the 15th and 16th centuries, it wasn’t until the early 17th century that the nyckelharpa truly took hold, particularly in the province of Uppland. The fiddle came to Sweden in the early 17th century and quickly became the instrument of choice for many musicians. It is arguably the paradigmatic instrument of Swedish folk music, enabling jaunty polska songs as well as leisurely “gånglåtar” or “walking tunes.” Jämtland’s Lapp-Nils, Bingsjö’s Pekkos Per and Malung’s Lejsme-Per Larsson were all beloved, virtuoso fiddlers, though they were sadly never recorded.

Do you remember the SBC team from last National Day Celebration?

Swedish National Day Celebration 2021,
Fairmont the Palm

1700-1900

The father of Swedish classical music is often claimed to be Johan Helmich Roman (1694-1758). His most famous work is the Drottningholm Music. Another influential composer is Carl Michael Bellman, whose patron was the king Gustav III of Sweden. Bellmans' songs are often about drinking, prostitution and every-day love troubles.

Wilhelm Stenhammar (1871-1927) was one of the later national romantic composers. He owned a reputation as one of the finest pianists of his time.

1900 onwards

Important composers in the early 1900s are Hilding Rosenberg, Kurt Atterberg, Ture Rangström. The best-known opera singers were the 19th century soprano Jenny Lind and the 20th-century tenor Jussi Björling, who had great success abroad as a tenor. Also sopranos Christina Nilsson, Birgit Nilsson, and tenor Nicolai Gedda, baritone Håkan Hagegård and the contemporary soprano Miah Persson and mezzo-sopranos Anne Sofie von Otter and Katarina Karnéus have become known in the world of opera. Evert Taube, Povel Ramel, Cornelis Vreeswijk, Fred Akerstrom are all popular modern troubadours, considered to be classics in Swedish music.

Source: Wikipedia

10 Milestones of Swedish Music

1964: A jazz icon waltzes to immortality

It takes just four hours for singer Monica Zetterlund and the Bill Evans Trio to record one of the most critically acclaimed Swedish albums of all time. The jazz masterpiece Waltz for Debby launches a stellar career for Zetterlund. Today, more than 15 years after her death, Zetterlund has admirers across generations – ABBA’s Agnetha Fältskog, Nina Persson of The Cardigans and Zara Larsson are just three of them.

1974: Swedish pop makes its big splash

Björn Skifs and his Blue Swede band hit number one on the US Billboard charts with ‘Hooked on a feeling’. Who can resist a song with an opening line of ‘Ooga chaka, ooga ooga ooga chaka’? Swedish pop comes of age, internationally.

1986: ‘The Final Countdown’ begins its eternal journey

The glorious anthem of Swedish glam metal band Europe is released. It will roar to number one in 25 countries, and like a comet, it’s blazed a trail ever since. Attend any major sports event and there’s a good chance you’ll hear its rousing beat pumping from the stadium speakers.

1990: Power ballad duo show their muscles

Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson (born 19 August 1963), known professionally as Joey Tempest, is a Swedish singer best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Europe

Roxette’s anthemic ‘It Must Have Been Love’ becomes the third of the Swedish duo’s four US number ones. Featured on the soundtrack to blockbuster comedy Pretty Woman, the song remains the band’s biggest hit and perhaps their best known tune.

1993: The Sign of things to come

Gothenburg band Ace of Base officially make it big in America as their debut album The Sign tops the US album charts. The album – a meld of reggae and Euro techno – spends six months in the top three and eventually sells 21 million copies worldwide. To date, it’s the second best-selling album from a Swedish act, surpassed only by the ABBA Gold hits collection.

2000: Oops, he did it again – and again

Britney Spears reaches the top of the US Billboard charts again thanks to the extraordinary talents of Max Martin. To date, this Swede has 23 Billboard number ones to his name, a haul that is matched only by Beatles producer George Martin. As a songwriter, Max Martin has penned 25 Billboard number ones, with only two writers ahead of him in the all-time standings: Paul McCartney (36) and John Lennon (26).

2008: Listening to music changes forever

The launch of Swedish streaming service Spotify transforms music listening. For years, the industry struggled with slumping record sales as consumers turned to file-sharing and illegal downloads. With Spotify, the first mass-market audio streaming platform arrives.

Robyn, who’s real name is Robin Miriam Carlsson, born June 12, 1979

2011: Electronic dance music gains a new anthem

‘Levels’ by DJ/producer Avicii takes electronic dance music to a new level. The catchy synth and innovative beat drop create a new type of radio hit and turns Avicii, then only 22, into a megastar. He becomes one of the first DJs to step up from clubs to arenas, erasing the boundaries between rave and concert.

2019: New York’s subway filled with love and joy

New York’s 34th Street station transforms into a full-on dance party after singer Robyn's sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden. Subway riders and passers-by spontaneously bop to the tones of ‘Dancing on my own’. Rolling Stone ranks the tune as the 20th best song of all time.

2021: Mamma Mia, here they go again!

In 1981, ABBA release what everyone – including themselves – assume is their final album. But then 40 years later, almost to the day, ABBA stun the world with a comeback record – Voyage. And to the delight of the fans, the band is performing as digital ‘Abbatars’ at a purpose-built ABBA Arena in London in 2022. Thank you for the music!

Source: sweden.se