By: Nicole Wahlin

My Musical Genealogy

Kjerstie Mary Dahl She was born on

September 1, 1864 at Hybe West Malmo,

Sweden. She died on November 4, 1952 in Ogden,

Utah.

Kjerstie was the last member of her family to immigrate to America; she was 17 years old.

The Voyage to America…

“The voyage across the ocean was terrible. I was deathly sick. I thought I would die!”

After arriving in New York Kjerstie traveled to Ogden, Utah by train. A good chunk of the trip was spent

on flat cars without roofs. “These large and

frightening mountainsmade me very nervous.”

Arriving in Utah…

Although Kjerstie was not able to bring much to America, she was able to bring her family traditions that she grew up with.

Many of those traditions, specifically Christmas, my family continues to participate in today.

What she brought to America…

Many families serve Risgryngrot, special rice porridge with one almond in it. The person finding it gets to make a wish, or is believed to get married the coming year.

A christmas dinner buffet consisting of ham, fish, and sweets.

Swedish Christmas Traditions

In Sweden it is tradition to dance around the Christmas tree and sing carols.

A popular Christmas carol is called, “Nu har vi ljus här i vårt hus,” or “We Have

Kindled the Candles in

Our House Now.”

Singing and Dancing…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pxA5bzEvfw&feature=related

The most common instrument used in Swedish music is the fiddle.

Many fiddlers of old were said to have learnt their music from näcken. Näcken is a water spirit, who lives in streams, and plays the fiddle.

Swedish Music

the nyckelharpa (key fiddle)

many people now will play the recorder

(blockflöjt), but there is also a traditional type

of whistle called spelpipa or spilåpipa.

The Swedish bagpipe is a single-reed

bagpipe.The accordion

Other Instruments used…

The most common type of tune in Swedish music is the polska, plural polskor. It is a dance tune played in 3/4 time, though not the same way as a waltz.

In a polska, the beats 1 and 3 are heavy and downward, and beat 2 is light and upward, something like "bom - bip - bom"

\ ' \ \ ' \ \ ' \

Common Swedish Tune…

A form of entertainment that is energetic and lively making people everywhere want to dance.

The music brings families and people together; music is always found in family or community gatherings.

Swedish Music is…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christmas_carols#Swedish

http://www.norbeck.nu/swedtrad/

Bibliography