my sixth Luciatåg

This morning was our traditional Luicatåg, for which our Choir has been preparing since October. Even though the choir numbers had been up this year compared to recent years, we still only had ten of us for today's performance, 4 altos, and two each of the other voices. (I am not certain what happened to the other 10 people who had been coming to practice as recently as a few weeks back.) Luckily, some of us are quite good, so it still sounded ok. As we did last year, I brought my hammer dulcimer and played along for three of the songs. However, this time we didn't have a microphone, and my friends in the audience, who sat well in the back, tell me they couldn't really hear the instrument. Unlike last year lord_kjar didn't play his nyckleharpa, which, I think, would have been heard throughout the hall.

One of the songs we learned new this year has a fair bit of imagery that I really like, even though I don't care for the religious overtones in other sections of the song. However, I think that it is one that katerit would really like (and not just because she doesn't have my issues with religion). Come to think of it learnteach might also appreciate it. Therefore I will share it with all of you, because they may not be the only ones. There are a number of versions of it on Youtube, here is one for your convenience, if you want to hear it.

Koppången

Här är stillhet och tystnad nu när marken färgats vit.
. (Here is stillness and quietness now that the ground is coloured white)
Från den trygga gamla kyrkan klingar sången ända hit.
. (yet the song rings here from the safe old church)
Jag har stannat vid vägen för att vila mig ett tag
. (I have paused by the wall for to rest for a bit)
och blev fångad i det gränsland som förenar natt och dag.
. (and was captured by the borderlands that joins night and day)
Och ett sken i från ljusen bakom fönstrets välvda ram
. (and a glow coming from the candles behind the vaulted frame of the windows)
har förenat dom själar som finns med oss har i tiden.
. (has united the souls which exist with us here in time)
Och jag vet att dom som har lämnat oss har förstått att vi är
. (and I know that those who have left us here understand that we are)
liksom fladdrande lågor så länge vi är här.
. (like flickering flames so long as we are here)


Och där bland gnistrande stjärnor som förbleknar en och en,
. (and there among the sparkling stars which fade one by one)
kommer livet väldigt nära som en skymt av sanningen.
. (comes life rather near to a glimpse of truth)
Vi är fångar i tiden som ett avtryck av en hand
. (we are prisoners in time like a hand-print)
på ett frostigt gammalt fönster som fått nåd av tidens tand.
. (upon a frosty old window which has been spared the passage of time)
En sekund är jag evig och sen vet jag inget mer,
. (one second I am dizzy, and then I know nothing more)
bara ett att jag lever lika fullt som någon annan.
. (only that I live just as fully as any other)
Jag är här och mitt på en frusen väg finns det värme ändå,
. (I am here, and in the middle of a frozen road there is nonetheless a warmth)
fastän snön börjat falla och himmelen blir grå.
. (even though the snow has begun to fall and the sky is becoming grey)


Här är stillhet och tystnad nu när psalmen tonat ut,
. (here is stillness and quietness now that the psalm fades away)
men jag bär dom gamla orden i mitt hjärta som förut.
. (but I carry those old words in my heart as before)
Och jag sjunger för himlen, kanske någon mer hör på
. (and I sing for the heavens, perhaps someone else listens)
"Hosianna i höjden", sen så börjar jag att gå.
. ("Hosianna in the highest", then I began to walk)
Och jag går till dom andra, jag vill känna jullens frid.
. (and I walk to the others, I wish to feel the peace of Yule)
Jag vill tro att han föddes och finns med oss här i tiden.
. (I wish to believe that he was born and exists with us here in time)
Det är jul och det finns ett bar in mig som vill tro att det hänt,
. (It is Yule and there exists a child in me which wants to believe that it has happened)
och som tänder ett ljus varje söndag i advent
. (and who lights a candle every Sunday during Advent)

Elddyrkan

I am just home from Eldyrkan, a Fire show by my beloved jester group, Phire, and Wow, am I impressed. Keep in mind that these are the same people who gave me a little fire show for my birthday on the weekend, and who performed at Norrskensfesten this year, and last. Those other shows were good, but tonight's performance was at least an order of magnitude more impressive, they did a very professional job, it was clear that they have worked hard on the choreographies, and everything just flowed beautifully.

The show opened with the igniting (through the gratuitous use of fire-breathing) of a large set of fire-drums, which the boy played with flaming drum sticks. (Can one use the word "boy" for someone playing flaming drums with flaming sticks? The effect would have looked totally appropriate in a film set in a flaming Hell. Perhaps he would prefer the term "demon"? Or maybe not, not everyone would consider that a compliment.)

Since today is the Swedish celebration of St. Lucia, the opening act involved everyone, carrying various forms of burning fire-toys processing in from the back of the audience (to an intricate fire-drum beat), led by a lady wearing the traditional Lucia Crown of burning candles. Given that the show was outside on an evening that was -10 C, and thus the audiance was all bundled up enough to make it hard to turn around (or even have preferential vision) having them come up from behind us like that was really effective. Once everyone was on stage they begun to dance with their fire toys, and there were so many of them it was not possible to see everything at once, but the overall effect was Wow. I did note that Lucia took off her burning crown, in time to the music (there were speakers behind the stage to supplement and, occasionally, replace, the fire drumming). She left it on a low pedestal at the stage edge, where it burned for the rest of the show as a quiet reminder that some traditions are worth keeping, even when totally throwing them onto their heads.

After that there were a number of one, two, and three people acts that all went very well. Fire breathing, poi, fire fans, burning staffs (not necessarily in that order, and often more than one act for each). The final number was another full group choreography--this time I remembered to count, and there were 10 of them on the stage, each using their preferred burning toy of the moment, but even with so many different techniques being displayed at once, it all tied together into a coherent whole. They clearly put a lot of thought and effort into the choreography.

I really enjoyed the show, and it was totally worth spending an hour outside on a winter night, getting kind of cold (why did I not wear my nice fur-lined hood and muff?) to get to see it. I also found it quite inspiring--I think it would be fun to participate in one of these shows one of these days. I don't know when I will find the time to practice so that I would be able to, but if I ever do, I think it will be totally fun.