December

Week 49: This past week we had milder weather, but that usually means precipitation in one form or another. It snowed a little. Fortunately there was no rain. It is very odd to go to work in the morning when it is dark and come home when it is dark in the evening. On Thursday we began «Julevandring», almost like a Christmas pagaent, but without an audience. It is just for kids, ages 4 through 7, plus a couple school teachers and a teaching assistant. I dressed up as the Angel Gabriel and had a few lines to recite (in Norwegian), and a few carols to play on the piano. Helga was in charge of these skits. She is the religious education person on our staff. There were 2 presentations on Thursday and 3 on Friday. Next week there will be only 2. The heating problem in the church seems to be fixed. Today the sun rose at 10:05 am and set at 1:50 pm. (Dawn begins at 8:40 am and dusk ends at 3:15 pm). Just two more weeks of decreasing light.

Week 50: Nothing unusual this week. I heard that my oldest friend passed away: Hugues Cuenod, age 108 died at the beginning of December in Vevey, Switzerland. I first met Hugues in 1983? when Dan (my late partner) and I went to Europe. Everytime we went to Europe we would visit him for a few days at his summer residence in Morges. I think the last time we saw him was in 2003 when he was 101. Dan first met him in the 1950's. They recorded many of Schutz' solo sacred songs. Back in Sandnessjøen there are more preparations for the big Christmas services. Fortunately there were no funerals this week. Sunday was a busy day. There was the usual 11 am service here in Sandnessjøen. Then a 6:30 candlelight service in Tjøtta. Then a rehearsal back in Sandnessjøen with Pianissimo, a choral group that will be participating in a big service on the 19^th. On Sunday the 12^th of December the sun rose at 10:30 am and set at 1:35 pm. Total daylight is just over 3 hours.

Week 51. This is the final week of decreasing daylight. There were 3 funerals this week, a big rehearsal on Thursday evening with 5 combined choirs, a large devotional service at Zahl Gården, an institution for Alzheimer patients, and a big staff party on Friday. And on top of all this activity my Gmail e-mail account was hacked and taken over. They said I was stranded in London and asked for money to be sent there. Fotunately I had most of my e-mail addresses and sent out a message that my e-mail account had been hacked and to ignore the message. I am perfectly fine, I'm not in London and I don't need money. What a headache. It's now in Gmail's hands. They are working on returning the account to me, but it may take days or weeks. Saturday marked 4 years since Dan passed away. I'm very happy I chose to be in Norway for a year. Now I feel I can get on with my life when I return.

Sunday is probably the busiest day so far: no 11 am service, but a 2:30 service at a shopping center (Skansa) and the huge service/concert at 6 pm. 5 choirs and the band are participating. At the end all the choirs sing «O Holy Night» in Swedish (O helga natt). Oddly enought that is the traditional version here, made popular by the Swedish tenor, Jussi Björling. I look forward to when it's over. Today the sun rose at 10:45 am, and set at 1:30 pm. Total daylight is 2 hours, 45 minutes. Monday is actually the shortest day, but only by 1 minute. On Tuesday the days will slowly begin to increase.

Advent

Tuesday was overcast with snow. Both Wednesday Thursday were clear. The sun is now hiding behind the mountains. We won’t get direct sunlight until the end of January. The quality of light is very unusual. It seems like a very long twilight. You can see the sun shining on the mountains to the north. As of Thursday, the 18th of November, the sun rise is at 9,05 am, the sun sets at 2,40 pm.




Nothing unusual this past week. On Sunday there was a full moon. It was very beautiful both at sunrise and at sunset. The temperature dropped on Sunday. It was about 20 F (-6 C). The Norwegians don't say minus. If it's below zero Celsius they say cold degrees. Above zero they say warm degrees. I also learned the word for step ladder: curtain ladder (gardintrapp). The Sunday morning service at Alstahaug was well attended: the youth participated and sang several songs. The Sunday evening service in Sandnessjøen had to be moved into the parish center because it was too cold in the church (about 40 F). It is interesting that if the temperature goes below 17 C (about 60 F) a church service can be cancelled or moved. It looks like the Siberian cold snap will stay here a bit longer. At least the weather will be clear. Sunday afternoon I had a nice walk in the woods with my friends Magnar and Lill. They each have dogs.



This past week was very cold, but clear. It never got above freezing. I rode my bike to work each day, except for Friday. There was a funeral at Tjøtta at noon on Friday. It was so nice to see the sun there. Again the church was stone cold on Sunday morning, so we had to move into the parish house for the service. It appears that no one is taking responsibility to fix the problem. There is a funeral scheduled for this coming Wednesday. It had better be fixed. (Not that I can do anything, except quit). The weather patterns will bring milder weather this coming week, but with that comes precipitation. Who knows what form that will take. If it rains it will be very slippery with the deep frost we've had over the past two weeks. On the first Sunday of Advent (28 November) the sun rose at 9:45 am. It set at 2:10 pm. Total daylight is about 4 ½ hours, adding an hour on each end for dawn and dusk.



This past week we had milder weather, but that usually means precipitation in one form or another. It snowed a little. Fortunately there was no rain. It is very odd to go to work in the morning when it is dark and come home when it is dark in the evening. On Thursday we began «Julevandring», almost like a Christmas pagaent, but without an audience. It is just for kids, ages 4 through 7, plus a couple school teachers and a teaching assistant. I dressed up as the Angel Gabriel and had a few lines to recite (in Norwegian), and a few carols to play on the piano. Helga was in charge of these skits. She is the religious education person on our staff. There were 2 presentations on Thursday and 3 on Friday. Next week there will be only 2. The heating problem in the church seems to be fixed. Today (5 Dec) the sun rose at 10:05 am and set at 1:50 pm. (Dawn begins at 8:40 am and dusk ends at 3:15 pm). Just two more weeks of decreasing light.

Paris

After church on Sunday, the 7th of November I flew to Oslo. The flight was delayed due to a snowstorm in Bodø. I was pleasantly surprised that the airline offered me round-trip transportation back into town and a meal voucher. You would never get that in the U.S.  I finally arrived at Gardermoen Airport in Oslo at about 11 pm. Turid (a distant cousin) picked my up and I spent the night at their house in Jessheim. Monday afternoon I went down to Oslo to meet one of the professors at Oslo Conservatory of Music. We had a couple friends in common, in particular (the late) Einar Haugen and his daughter Camilla Cai. Professor Herresthal has just finished a 4-volume work on Ole Bull. Einar and Camilla published a book on Ole Bull in the early 1990’s. The meeting was very pleasant and fruitful.



That evening I had dinner and coffee with my friend Gjerulf, Tuesday morning coffee with Harry, then off to the music store, and finally back to Jessheim Tuesday afternoon. Gunnar (Turid’s husband) has a bad knee and it needs surgery. He’s now on canes and in pain. I hope it goes well.



Early Thursday morning I got the 8 am flight to Paris. I arrived at Jim’s apartment about 11:30 am. Fortunately I brought some smoked salmon with me and we had a delicious lunch. That afternoon we went to Notre Dame for a commemoration service for Armistice Day (11th of November). We were up in the organ gallery and had great views of the procession and pageantry.



On Friday morning I hit the music stores. I made my way back to the Mont Parnasse area where Jim and I had lunch with Jaqueline and Pascale. (Jaqueline is the daughter of André Marchal; Pascale is the granddaughter of Louis Vierne). After lunch we had a walk in the cemetery of Mont Parnasse and saw the graves of many famous composers (Franck, Saint-Saëns, Vierne & Guilmant) and the famous 19-century organ builder Cavaille Coll. That evening I went up to the 56th floor in the Mont Parnasse Tower and saw Paris by night. Mont Parnasse Tower is quite ugly, but it offers great views.



Saturday I spent the morning at the Pompidou Center for Modern Art. Jim and I had lunch with Brigitte, the biographer for Louis Vierne. That evening we heard a performance of Heinrich Schütz’ Musicalische Exequien.



Sunday morning Jim and I went to Saint-Sulpice to hear Daniel Roth. There were about 10 in the organ gallery. Roth played a few improvisations, but for the most part he played Bach. After church I took a walk in Luxembourg Gardens, then made my way to the Church of the Madeleine. From there I walked to La Trinité where I met Carolyn. She was a classmate at New England Conservatory. The Church of la Trinité was where Messiaen was organist. Carolyn and I made our way to St Roche for a solo-violin concert. Carolyn directed my way back to Notre Dame. Jim and I had dinner with a couple of his friends who were in Paris for a week (Jay and Izzy). Monday morning was early. I caught the 11 am flight back to Oslo, bought provisions at the duty-free store in Oslo, and spent the rest of the day waiting for my flight. After delays I finally arrived back in Sandnessjøen at about 11 pm.



Tuesday was overcast with snow. Both Wednesday Thursday were clear. The sun is now hiding behind the mountains. We won’t get direct sunlight until the end of January. The quality of light is very unusual. It seems like a very long twilight. You can see the sun shining on the mountains to the north. As of Thursday, the 18th of November, the sun rise is at 9,05 am, the sun sets at 2,40 pm.

Half-way through

Week 42. I am now beginning the 2nd half of my adventure in Norway.




Tuesday began with rain. It gradually turned over to snow and got very cold. The winds were terrific. It was so raw. I bought a winter coat yesterday. I didn’t realize I would use it so soon.



Thursday morning I woke up to about 8 inches of snow. Am I ready for 7-8 months of winter? Today I feel like I’m in the Narnia Chronicles and the wicked white witch has declared perpetual winter.



Friday I bought “isbrudd”. They are cleats that fit over your shoe. On the bottom are metal studs so you can walk on ice.



On Saturday I decided to buy a car. It’s not cheap but in months left it will still be cheaper than if I lease by the month. It’s a little frightening: to buy a car (or any other major possession) seems like a step toward a move here. I’m not ready for that (unless the Republicans take control of Congress, gut the health care bill, abolish Social Security, and force through a pre-F.D.Roosevelt United States). I really think the next supreme court justice should be Anita Hill. When they announce that it will give Clarence Thomas a fatal heart attack and give Obama another choice for an open position.



There were about 70 attending church on Sunday, with a baptism. Sunrise today is 8:35 am, sunset at 5:10 pm. Total daylight is 8 hours, 36 minutes.



Monday, 25 October. Week 43. I picked up my car. Tuesday I drove to Tjøtta for a funeral. On Tuesday afternoon I got my absentee ballot and immediately sent it back. Thursday I finally decided to go with car insurance through the bank. The other possibility was through KNIF (Kristen-Norges InnkjøpsFelleskap – Christian Norway Purchasing Cooperative). I’m totally ready for winter: I got studded tires for my bicycle! Thursday evening Anna (one of the ministers on staff) and I drove to Mosjøen to see Eugene O’Neil’s “Long Day’s Journey toward Night”. Liv Ullmann and Bjørn Sundquist were leads in the Riksteater production. Fortunately I read the book a couple times so I didn’t have many problems following the dialogue (everything was in Norwegian, of course). It was great theatre. The drive back was hair-raising, as usual. The road is awful between Sandnessjøen and Mosjøen. They are building a new one but it won’t be ready until 2013. I had Friday free and drove down to Brønnøysund to visit my friend Bjarne. On Saturday we drove out to Torghatten and hiked up to the mountain with the hole. The hole is huge. It seemed as though a storm was brewing: the winds were very strong, but Bjarne explained that it is quite normal to have powerful wind gusts where the mountains create wind tunnels. Bjarne rode back to Sandnessjøen with me. He had a birthday party to attend. Sunday morning was the time change. (Spring ahead, fall back, or fall over!). Sunday was an exhausting day, plus my legs were so stiff from the hike up Torghatten the previous day. There was extra music for Sunday: a special day called “Prayer and Penance Sunday”. On Sunday afternoon Anna (the prosti minister) and I drove up north to Lurøy for a service at 5 pm. It took about 3 hours to drive there. The place is called Konsvik and it’s about 3 miles south of the arctic circle. A good crowd showed up – about 25 or 30 people in all. It took place in a “bedehus”, a meeting house which is less formal and smaller than a church. We got back to Sandnessjøen about 10 pm. This past weekend I saw most of the Helgeland coast: from Torghatten and Brønnøysund in the south to Lurøy and Rødøy in the north.



Sunrise on 31 October is at 8:00 am. Sunset at 3:40. Total daylight is 7 hours, 40 minutes.



The first week (44) in November was uneventful, except that my Macbook seems to be very sick. I can't get a wifi signal. So I bought a pc this week. At least I have a connection to the internet now.

The choir will be singing in church on Sunday so we've been rehearsing the pieces for Sunday.



The news from the U.S. isn't very cheerful (referring to the elections), but it could have been worse. Here in Norway the right-wing party (Høyre) is to the left of the mainstream Democratic party. There is one party here which is against everything that social democracy stands for. They are called The Progress Party (Fremskrittsparti). What a misnomer. Fortunately they are only about 20%, but the third largest party. I still think that Obama should nominate Anita Hill to the Supreme Court. That would give Clarence Thomas a fatal heart attach (hopefully) and another nomination for Obama. I heard from my mother that the church where I grew up is pulling out of the ELCA over the gay issue. How unchristian can you get? I hope I never have to set foot in that place again. And there is a burial plot for sale!



Sunday the sun rose at 8:25 am, sunset at 3:20 pm. Total daylight is just under 7 hours.

Winter Begins

The leaves are beginning to fall.  I’ll be sorry when they all fall off.  That means I will see more of that ugly Tine creamery building.  On Wednesday we had rain and high winds.  A few of the trees are now bare, although some are still green.

Nothing unusual this week: just one funeral.  I spent the week getting prepared for the organ recital I’m giving on Sunday evening.

Nikolai, the child of Ann-Kristin & Trond Edvardsen, turned 5 on Thursday.  (I rent their basement apartment).  On Saturday they invited me to a coffee party to celebrate the event.

Well, there’s never a dull moment at organ recitals.  The weather turned quite cold, the high was only about 42 F.  The church was so cold Sunday morning that they tried to heat the place up with space heaters, but it kept on blowing fuses.  The organ recital began at 7:30.  Everything was going well until we had a power failure.  Jon, one of the employees of the church, tried to fix it but they ended up calling an electrician.  After about a 45-minute delay I played the rest of the program.  Fortunately, everyone patiently waited while the problem was fixed.  

Sunday (10-10-10) the sun rose at 7:45 am and set at 6 pm.  Total daylight is 10 hours, 15 minutes.

Week 41: winter began.  Sunday morning there was a dusting of snow on the mountains.  It looked liked a sprinkling of powdered sugar.  Each day there was a little more snow.  On Thursday, the 14^th of October it snowed.  According to the Old Norse Calendar this day is the first day of winter.  Like clockwork winter began in northern Norway.  Most people now have their winter tires on.  Quite a few years ago tires with studs were outlawed in Massachusetts.  The headline in the Boston Globe read, “Stud tires out”.

On Friday I had two funerals: one in Sandnessjøen Church for a 65-year old woman, and one in the chapel at the hospital for an infant that was stillborn.  This last one was so sad, of a life never lived.

I’m having a few problems with my macbook (computer).  It wouldn’t connect to the internet.  (All the other programs work fine).  I took it to a shop.  They looked at it and made some adjustments.  It does seem better but every once in a while I lose the signal.  I know the problem is with the macbook.  My iphone and ipod work perfectly fine.  I may have to get a pc.  Macs are not much in use in Norway.

Saturday I met Vera and John on the south-bound Hurtigruten.  They began their journey in Kirkenes and saw a part of Norway they hadn’t seen before.  If the weather had been better we would have taken the ferry over to Dønna and driven up to Dønnes and over to Rølvaag.    But it wouldn’t cooperate.  Instead we drove around Alstahaug: over the Helgeland Bridge, down to Søvik and Alstahaug Church and Museum, and back to Sandnessjøen on the valley road.

On Sunday Vera sang at the two services that played for: Sandnessjøen at 11 am and Alstahaug at 6:30.  The 11 am service was well attended.  They had presentation gifts for the 4-year olds.  There must have been about 120 in attendance.  The evening service was very sparsely attended.  In any case, Vera sang beautifully for both services.  The song was “Det er makt i de foldede hender” (There is strength in folded hands).  Monday morning they caught the 7 am bus to Mosjøen and from there the train down to Trondheim.  It was a short visit but at least they got a flavor of Helgeland.

Sunrise on 17 October is at 8:10 am, sunset at 5:40 pm.  Total daylight is 9 hours, 30 minutes.

Great fall weather

Monday morning was early (week 38).  I picked up my colleague Venera and we drove to Mosjøen for the Nordland County meeting of organists and district musicians.  Dolstad Church in Mosjøen had just dedicated their new Marcussen organ on Sunday evening.  I found the whole event very refreshing.  And it was great to meet colleagues.  The Friday before I found I that I was to play for a masterclass.  Everything went well despite the short notice.  It’s good to shake things up and take chances.  The cathedral organist from Bodø gave masterclasses in organ repertoire.  He is a gifted teacher and performer.  The other “star” for this convention was one of the professors from the conservatory in Oslo: W. Plagge. I had never heard of him but he’s quite famous in Norway.  He gave masterclasses/coaching in ensemble music.  He’s a fine pianist/teacher/coach.  But as a composer there is something missing.  The piece that was performed on Monday evening involved 6 or 7 instrumentalists and piano.  He seems to compose in a improvisational style, at times formless, dominated by the piano.  I wished to hear more of the other instruments, particularly in unusual combinations.

Two funerals and a wedding this week.  Thursday evening we had a staff activity: mushroom picking.  It  began with just two of us: Bjørnar and me.  About an hour later Tove arrived.  I picked a plastic bag full.  There are only two kinds that we picked: piggsopp (or spine mushrooms – hydnum repandum) and chantarelles.  Friday evening I went alone and picked another bag full.  I know they are edible: I woke up Saturday morning!  I’m hooked: Saturday afternoon I picked another bagful.  I put two containers of cooked mushrooms in the freezer.

I bought boots.  Now I’m almost ready for winter.  The past few days have been so beautiful.  My weather forecast apps on my iphone said rain.  How wrong, thank God.  On Sunday afternoon I picked another bag of mushrooms.

Sunrise on 26 Sept is at 7:02 am, sunset at 6:57 pm.  Total daylight is 11 hours, 54 minutes.  We are entering the dark period (shudder).

On Monday (27 Sept, week 39) I went out on yet another mushroom search.  I picked a plastic bag full.  I think I’m set for awhile.  On Monday evening I had a small dinner party with Katrin and Elizabeth.  I can’t have a large party, given the size of the apartment, plus I only have 3 chairs for the kitchen table.

The weather has been so beautiful this week.  But I notice that the days are rapidly getting shorter.  At 4 pm the sun is so low on the horizon that it feels more like November.  I checked out full-spectrum lights at the local appliance store.  They were sold out but will get more next week.

The weather predictions are excellent for the next few days.  While southern Norway is mired in rain we are blessed with cloudless days.  It would be great to see the northern lights on a clear night.  So far I haven’t seen them here.  According to the news report it has been 20 years since Nordland has had such a pleasant September.

Next Sunday (10 October) I'm playing an organ recital in Sandnessjøen Church.  I visited the local newspaper and asked if they would publish an article about the concert.  It will come out on Wednesday,  6 October in Helgelands Blad.  For this concert I'm going to set up a screen in the front of the church so the audience can see me.

I had this weekend off.  On Saturday I took the boat/bus to Brønnøysund for a couple days, to meet a friend of a friend, and to see the organ in Brønnøysund Church.  Many say it’s the best organ in Nordland.  Brønnøysund is only about 40 miles south of Sandnessjøen, but it takes 3 hours to get there by bus: there are 2 ferry crossings.  The weather was gorgeous on Saturday.  Sunday I took a long walk around Brønnøysund.  I thought that Sandnessjøen is a sleepy town.  Brønnøysund is hibernating.  I got some good pictures of Torghatten, the mountain with a hole through it.  I wish I had brought my bike – I could have had a nice ride out to Torghatten.  Well, next time.  Monday morning I took the bus/ferry back to Sandnessjøen.

Beginning of fall

Week 36: Monday morning I had my appointment with the doctor.  It was very short – about 30 minutes.  He asked some questions, took my blood pressure and authorized a few blood tests.  It’s not the complete physical you would get in the U.S.  The point of this was to get into the system.  Now that I’m registered it should be fairly easy to get medical help should I need it.

On Friday I flew to Oslo for the weekend.  I saw my friend Harry on Friday evening and Saturday and Marilyn on Sunday.  Then I took the train a short distance north to stay with my relatives Turid and Gunnar for the evening.  I even helped mow their lawn on Monday.  (I also got a couple inquiries from others to help them mow their lawns!)  Late Monday afternoon/evening I flew back to Sandnessjøen.

Week 37: The big news this week is the plane accident at the airport.  Early Wednesday morning (6 am) a commercial propeller plane was landing when a sudden wind gust blew down just as the plane was landing, causing the right-side landing gear to collapse.   The weather was clear but windy.  Fortunately there were no injuries among the 3 passengers and 4 crew members.  The airport was closed all day on Wednesday.  It was very strange to drive by and see the plane in the middle of the runway, tipped on its side with one wing touching the ground.  By Thursday morning it had been moved and normal departure/arrival operations resumed.  (If you want to see a picture of it go to my Facebook page and click on “Links”, then click on the picture.  The text is in Norwegian, from the local newspaper.)

Wednesday evening I saw a theatrical production of “On Overgrown Paths”, Humsun’s explanation/apologia of his pro-Nazi activities during WWII.  I was good theatre, especially with a small orchestra playing modern music, but it is difficult to make a successful production from a documentary.

It’s hard to believe that the weather has been so good for the past few weeks.  Rain in predicted for Sunday.  So far no frost.

Saturday I took the bus to Mosjøen to see “Little Shop of Horrors”.  Many new friends in Sandnessjøen were playing in the orchestra, and singing in the chorus.  It was performed last weekend in Sandnessjøen but I was in Oslo then.  The performance was first-rate.   The bus ride was relaxing and beautiful.  It really is beginning to look like fall.

For the first time my church choir sang for the 11 am service in Sandnessjøen.  Everything went well.  The anthem was “Sammen for Guds ansikt” – Gathered in God’s presence by Egil Hovland.  According to those in the congregation they understood everything.  In Norway dialects are encouraged, resulting in a great variation of vowel pronunciation.  (Something I call vowel trouble).  In a chorus everyone must have the same pronunciation.  Anyway, there were no complaints.

Sunrise today (19 Sept) is at 6:40 am, sunset at 7:24 pm.  The autumnal equinox is on Wednesday.  Being this far north the actual equinox is on Saturday, the 25^th.

Semesterstart

Week 34: The weather is still great – sunny, not particularly warm, but not cold either.  Although one morning I could have used a pair of light gloves. 

Monday I went to the health center to make an appointment to see a doctor for an annual physical.  There’s nothing wrong, I just thought it would take a couple of months to set up an appointment.  The receptionist said, you will have to wait a little while, but we can make an appointment in 2 weeks.  That myth about waiting forever has vanished.   I’ll report about the doctor appointment later.

Confirmation classes began this week.  As one of the exercises the kids play a type of blindman’s bluff.  A blindfolded student is led around the church by another student who can see.  They explore all over the church, including the organ gallery, pulpit, and altar.  I think the purpose is to make the kids familiar with the church, so it isn’t thought of as an unfriendly, foreign place.

A type of county fair is here for the weekend.  It’s called “Horva Festival”.  There are horse shows, cattle shows, machinery on display, stands selling food, stands for advertisement (camping, hunting, sports).  The emphasis is on the environment, ecology and organic products.  On Saturday the Helgeland Chamber Choir sang a 45-minute concert in the Viking Longhouse.  The acoustics were surprisingly good.  Saturday afternoon I went to a theater production of “Growth of the Soil” by Knut Hamsun.  Hamsun won the Nobel prize in literature for this book in 1920.  Unfortunately his reputation is permanently stained because of his pro-Nazi activities during World War II.  The production was wonderful with just two actors.  The venue was in a hayloft, about 2 miles from town.  On Sunday they crowned Miss Northern Norway, and she is a cow.  Her name is Beata.  She made it on national TV.

Sunrise on August 29 is at 5:33 am, sunset at 8:45 pm.

Tuesday’s weather reminded me of the tropics: not that it was warm, but it poured rain for 15 minutes, then the sun came out.  It alternated rain and sun all day.  As the week progressed it got sunnier.

Tuesday evening I had my first choir rehearsal.  There were 8 who came.  The choir has a different function than church choirs in the U.S.  Mostly they lead in the singing of hymns and liturgical songs.  The volunteer choirs here don’t sing every Sunday, usually every 3^rd Sunday and on high holidays (Christmas and Easter).  So we’ll see how the fall progresses.  One faux pas: I didn’t know I was supposed to make coffee for the break.  I’ll have a pot brewing next week.

No funerals this week.  Rigmor is the name of the lady who runs the local mortuary.  I hadn’t heard that name before, but it’s a name that’s been around for a few centuries.  I thought it very funny that the mortician’s name is so close to rigor mortis.  Rigmor is the only one in Sandnessjøen who owns a Hummer, so a little ridicule is not inappropriate.  She must be charging too much for funerals if she can afford a Hummer, to say nothing about buying gasoline for it.   Gas is about $7.50/gallon.

Sunday I had two services: one at 11:15 on the island of Mindland, near Tjøtta, and an evening service in Sandnessjøen.  Mindland doesn’t have a piano or organ so I have to haul the electric piano to Tjøtta, get on the ferry, then drive the 5 km to the meeting house.  At least I have no time constraints, except for catching the ferries.

During the drive to Tjøtta I saw some leaves beginning to change color.  Fall really has begun.

Sunrise for 5 September is 6 am.  Sunset is at 8:15 pm.  We are nearing the equinox.

Trip to Trondheim

Finally we’re getting a few nice summer days.  Saturday (the 14^th of August) I drove to Mosjøen and took the train to Trondheim.  I saw a part of Nordland and Nord-Trøndelag that I hadn’t seen before.  About 50 or 60 miles from Trondheim I began to see fields of golden barley.  It hadn’t occurred to me before that barley can’t grow so far north in Nordland.

I had to laugh at myself: as the train was coming into Trondheim I thought, O wow, Trondheim is such a big city.  I’ve been in Sandnessjøen too long.  I need to get out about once every 4-6 weeks.

Sunday morning I went to Ilen Church (busman’s holiday).  The organ there is from the 1880’s and is the model on which the organ is Sandnessjøen is built.  The only difference is that the acoustics in Ilen are much better.  I met Øyvind Kåre after church and we went to Hospital Church to see the 1841 Albrechtsen organ, recently restored.  Unfortunately the humid weather wreaked havoc with windchests and there were constant ciphers.  We then went to Hoeggen Church to see a modern replica of a small French choir organ.  Very beautiful.  From there we went back to the center of Trondheim, picked up John Mosand (who recently lost his wife, Gayle), and went to a restaurant called Tavern near Sverres Borg.

Monday morning I did a bit a shopping and caught the 4pm train back to Mosjøen.  The road between Mosjøen and Sandnessjøen is very narrow in places.  It’s only about 60 km in distance but you can’t drive fast on hairpin-curved roads.

The weather is still very nice.  On Wednesday it got up to about 80 F.  You could certainly tell who hadn’t used deodorant.  On Saturday I took a hike up to Åsen – The Ridge which divides Sandnessjøen into the sea side and the mountain side.  (Sandnes, the name of the settlement on the mountain side, goes way back to the Viking Age.  Sjøen or sea, is where the fishermen lived.  When the two communities grew together the area was renamed Sandnessjøen).   The views from “The Ridge” are spectacular.

I woke to rain on Sunday morning.  But it didn’t really matter.  It stopped about noon.  Two services: one at 11 and one at 4 on the island of Austbø.  Attendance at the 11 am service in Sandnessjøen was about 50.  Three people came to the service on Austbø.  Wherever two or three are gathered together….

Sunrise on 22 August is at 5:10 am, sunset at 9:15.  It’s now completely dark at night.  I hope to see the northern lights soon.

History being made

Week 31: Monday I had free.  Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I worked, mostly getting choral repertoire ready for the choir.  Friday was a beautifully clear day.  I decided to take a boat trip up to Træna, a group of islands north of here about 60 km (40 miles).  The arctic circle intersects Træna.   When I got off the boat I wasn’t really sure where to go, but I found out that Husøy (the main island of Træna) is so small you can’t get lost.  The church, from 1773, was open and I walked in.  Organ music filled the church.  It turned out the organist was Chris with whom I had played a concert in June at Alstahaug Church.  Chris is the director for Helgelands Chamber Choir and he was there for a wedding that took place later in the afternoon.  Small world (on a small island).  I walked up to the Petter Dass chapel, built in 1997.  It was designed to look like an upside-down boat.  The building is very small, maybe 50 or 60 can sit comfortably.  The acoustics are great.  The atmosphere is intimate.  The artwork is beautiful.  It’s a perfect place for contemplation and meditation.  From the chapel I walked the short distance to the water tower, one of the highest points on Husøy.  On a clear day you can see Sweden.  (I couldn’t and probably wouldn’t know what to look for).  On the island of Sanna there are spectacular caves and evidence of people living there 9000 years ago.  I didn’t get there this time, but that’s on the agenda for the next trip.  The weather held off until the boat trip back.  About 8 pm it began to rain, but not steadily.  I arrived back in Sandnessjøen about 10 pm.

On Saturday history was made at Tjøtta.  The sogneprest (pastor of Tjøtta and Alstahaug parishes) married her partner.  The civil ceremony took place at the Tjøtta parsonage.  This is the first same-sex marriage at a parsonage in Norway.  After the marriage ceremony everyone got on a boat and went to the island of Skålvær where the union was blessed in Skålvær Church.  What I found moving was the welcome and support  from the community.  After the actual marriage ceremony a few cars passed celebrating the event by bearing Norwegian flags.  When we arrived in Skålvær there were two welcoming boats with flags waving.  The bishop in Bodø supports the sogneprest and the union, as do almost all of her colleagues.  Norway is a very modern country, no longer a romanticized version of the land of our ancestors.  It is gratifying to be in a civilized country, and to see history in the making.

On Sunday there were 4 baptisms at church so it was quite noisy.  About 80 people attended.  After church I went on a bike ride to Søvik, then by ferry over to Herøy, cycled to Dønna, and took the ferry back.  In all about a 40 km  trip.

As of 8 August the sun rose at 4:20 and set at 10 pm.  It’s almost completely dark at 1 am.

Dark Nights Begin

The week began with more rain.  It seems we have 4 or 5 days of dreary weather, then 3 days of glorious sunshine.  Being so far north I’m not used to the arctic summer.

Gary and Luana (from Mattapoisett and Rødven) arrived on Saturday afternoon.  I showed them the Petter Dass Museum and Alstahaug Church.  Sunday we went by boat to Skålvær, an island west of here a few miles.  It is still within the Alstahaug municipality.  The weather was glorious.  (I told them to bring good weather and they brought the best weather so far).  There were about 60 people on the boat (Gamle Helgeland – Old Helgeland).  A church service took place at 12 noon.  Many people attended – around 95.  It is very unusual to have so many attend church.  Since services are held at this church only 3 or 4 times each year, and the weather was great, people decided to go to church.  It is rather difficult to get to Skålvær, and practically impossible to get there and back in one day, unless a special event with transportation is arranged.  It was a great occasion and I’m glad Gary and Luana got a flavor of Nordland.  They left for Bodø on Monday morning.

The weather is moderating a bit.  There was a passing light shower on Monday afternoon, and mostly overcast on Tuesday, but fairly warm (for arctic Norway).  Most of the staff at church is on holiday so there were only 5 at our weekly staff meeting.

I finally figured out how to use the music data program at church.  Vegard (my predecessor and for whom I’m interim) showed me how it works.  For the past few weeks I’ve been assembling choral repertoire for the choir.  Norway doesn’t have the rich liturgical music tradition that you’ll find in other countries in Europe.  Most of the pieces I’ve chosen are from the last century but are easy and flexible.  Rehearsals begin at the end of August.

On Thursday I took a bike ride to the island of Dønna, just north of Sandnessjøen.  The trip began with a ferry ride over to Bjørn, the ferry landing on Dønna.  From there I cycled north to Dønnes, stopping at Nordvik Church to take a few pictures.  It was incredible seeing Dønnes Church for the first time, almost like a Disney feature film.  Dønnes Church is a medieval stone church from about 1200.   A mausoleum was added in 1690.  In 1866 the church was enlarged and an onion dome was added.  In 2006 the church was voted the most beautiful in northern Norway by Radio Norway listeners.  After Dønnes Church I went up to Dønnes Mountain and took in the great views of the surrounding area.  From Dønnes Mountain I continued north-west a few kilometers and saw the monument to Ole Edvard Rølvaag who was born here in 1876.  On the northeastern side of Dønna, in Glein, there are Viking Burial Mounds.  On top of one of the largest mound, Valhaugen, is a marble phallus measuring 89 cm high x 50 cm diameter (roughly 3 feet x 20 inches).  It dates from the Age of Migration, 300 to 700 AD.  The stone phallus is associated with fertility rites in the Viking religion.  The bike ride back was a breeze with tailwinds.  In all I must have cycled 65 kilometers.

Friday we had more rain.  I still have the heat on in my bathroom, but it’s off in the living areas.  Being so far north there is no need for air conditioning here.  Sunrise on the 1^st of August is about 4 am, sunset about 10:30 pm.  Tomorrow (2 Aug) we will begin to have completely dark nights.

Summer, finally

Nothing unusual this week (5-11 July): one funeral and two weddings for Saturday. Summer has finally arrived here. There were one or two days of rain but otherwise sunshine. I feel sorry for my friends in Boston with the heat wave. Here in northern Norway the warmest it has been so far is about 70 to 75 F.

Friday I went hiking in one of the Seven Sisters Mountains. It had rained on Thursday so parts of the path were slippery. At the end of the trail I slipped. Fortunately I didn’t fall but I caught my 4^th finger on a fence. Nothing serious but it’s a little sore. So I guess that’s a sign to give up mountain climbing.

Two weddings on Saturday the 10^th. Fortunately they were at the same church (Alstahaug). Both weddings were planned in detail. There was a singer for each and instrumentalists for the 2^nd wedding so extra rehearsals are needed. A trumpeter played at the 2^nd wedding. For the postlude they also brought in a tuba player, a drummer and a 2^nd trumpet player. Most of the wedding music is new to me. There are Norwegian wedding marches that are traditional here. So far the only wedding music that I knew are the Mendelssohn and Wagner marches, and also the Purcell Trumpet Tune.

After the service on Sunday I took a boat trip to Vega, an island south of here. We stopped at several islands on the way and back. The round-trip tour took about 5 hours. It was a perfect was to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Rain is predicted for Monday.

(12-18 July). And this time the prediction for rain was correct. We had 3 lousy wet days. My relatives Turid & Gunnar arrived on Tuesday for a couple days. On Wednesday we drove to Dønna and Herøy but we couldn’t see much. Thursday was a gloriously beautiful day. Unfortunately that was the day they left for the trip back south. Friday was equally beautiful with heat. Rain was predicted for Saturday but they were wrong! Another beautiful day. Norway really is the land of extremes. Friday afternoon I picked up my passport from the local police station. My residence permit is stamped into my passport. Now the major bureaucratic obstacles are behind me.

There is a nest of little seagulls near the roof on the parish house. Sometime on the weekend the young ones got out and were walking around on the ground near the front entrance. When I arrived at the parish house on Saturday morning I was dive bombed by seagulls. It felt like I was transported to Hitchcock’s “The Birds”. What an strident screech seagulls make when they are angry.

Sunday morning we had 4 baptisms. There were about 70-80 in church. During the postlude the congregation usually sits quietly and listens. With all the children in church there was quite a racket during the postlude. As I told a few people at church, I would rather have screaming children than screeching seagulls.

4th of July

The Sunday services on 27 June went well, about 70-80 people attending the 11 am service in Sandnessjøen (with 4 baptisms). The bass trombonist is a great player. He was a godparent for one of the baptisms. The 3 pm service in Tjøtta went well. Many people said they hadn’t known that organ in Tjøtta Church had so much color. It makes me wonder how well my colleague plays. She’s mostly a pianist. Less about her later.

Sunday evening I took off for two days in Oslo. The flights were on schedule and I arrived in Oslo about ½ hour earlier than expected. Monday morning I met my 2^nd cousin Arlayne and her husband Chris. We went to the Norwegian Folk Museum, the Viking Ship Museum, Akershus Castle, and finally to the new Opera House. It was great to be with them, and to catch up of the gossip from that side of the family. Chris is an architect. It was very interesting to get his opinion on all the various buildings we visited. Tuesday I had expected to visit friends, but they were either suffering from bad colds or otherwise engaged. I used the day to visit music stores, bookstores, and walked around the Botanical Gardens, and the ruins of the medieval St. Hallvard’s Cathedral. The trip back to Sandnessjøen was on schedule. The weather is Oslo was quite warm, and thankfully sunny. It was about 80 F and dry. I’ve been told that since I now live in northern Norway (county of Nordland) I can’t complain about the weather.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were regular workdays. The weather has greatly improved here. Friday evening I took a hike up into the mountains. I got up about ¾ of the way up Grytfoten, one of the peaks of the Seven Sisters. Not unexpectedly, I woke up on Saturday morning with stiff legs. On Saturday afternoon I had two weddings at Alstahaug Church.

The lilacs and rhododendrons are finally in full bloom. With all the wet weather we’ve had the insects, especially mosquitoes, are out in full force. As of today (3 July) sunrise is at 1:41 am, sunset at 12:42 am. The length of day is 23 hours. It appears that daylight decreases by about 12 minutes a day.

Sunday, the 4^th of July. In Dan’s family they used to say, “the best way to celebrate the 4^th of July is to drink a fifth.” Two services today: 11 am and 6:30 pm, with two different ministers. Sometimes I feel I have to play 35 hymns each Sunday, well 32, when each minister chooses different hymns. Today isn’t so bad except the opening hymn at the evening service has 10 verses. I’m afraid of miscounting.

End of June

This week my free days are Monday (the 21^st) and Friday. I’m in another bureaucratic problem but this time with the bank (Spare Bank Nord-Norge). I can’t log into my account because of the change of my Norwegian ID number. They ordered a new credit card for me but it hasn’t arrived yet. But at least my credit card works at the stores. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I had funerals each day (each at a different church). Tuesday evening there was a thank-you party to those who were involved in this past year’s confirmation class. On Wednesday evening there was a Sankt Hans party at church. They served the traditional meal: rømmegrøt. Thursday was a wonderfully sunny and warm day. Unfortunately I had to spend most of the day indoors: midday prayer service, a devotional service, a funeral, and a rehearsal with a trumpeter. But on Thursday evening I rode my bike to one of the Seven Sisters trails (Botnkrone) and hiked up to see fantastic views of the area.

The lilacs are just now beginning to bloom. I’ve notices a few rhododendrons are also beginning to flower.

Friday evening we had a terrific down pour with thunder and lightning. The lightning knocked out many TV’s in the area. People were upset that they couldn’t watch the soccer matches. The lightning also knocked out the wifi that I’m hooked up to. Hopefully it will be fixed soon. In the meantime I’m using someone else’s that isn’t locked.

Saturday I had two weddings: 2pm and 3pm at different churches. I was able to just make the 3 pm wedding (arriving at 2:55). A very good trumpeter played at the 2^nd wedding. During the morning I rehearsed with a bass trombonist who will play a piece for the 11 am Sunday service.

Longest Day

Here in Norway the week ends on a Sunday. In the U.S. the week begins on a Sunday, at least according to the calendar. At end of this week (24) there was celebrations for Petter Dass (1647-1707) who was a clergyman/poet here in Alstahaug community. He wrote many hymns, several are still in the Norwegian hymnal. On Sunday morning there was a festival service at Alstahaug. The Bishop from Bodø attended and preached the sermon. During the afternoon I rehearsed with the Helgelands Choir for the program at 6 pm. For the concert there was a good turnout, about 100 to 125 attending. It was a great success. The director, Chris Eva, lives in Lurøy (north of here about 25 miles). He’s a Brit who has lived here for about 15 years. The program included several pieces by Norwegian composers, a few British pieces (Purcell, Gibbons & Tallis) and a Buxtehude cantata on Jesu, meine Lebens Leben. The program was well performed and was very well received by an appreciative audience.

Today (or tomorrow) is the longest day of the year. Tomorrow the days will begin to get shorter, and hopefully warmer.

Last weeks of increasing sunlight

Monday, the 7^th of June. This week promises to be great weather. (If it’s good weather in southern Norway it’s usually stormy up north, and vice versa) I took a bike ride in the Botn area and saw my first tulips of the season. Temperature was only about 50. I received notice that my residence permit has been approved. Tuesday morning I took my paperwork back to the police station. They will let me know when my passport can be stamped with the permit. The Folkeregister people took back my application and will process it. I don’t think I’ll need to go back to that office any more. Tuesday is a great arctic summer day – you only need one pair of long johns!

Thursday evening I played a few accompaniments for the men’s chorus here. This year is the 100^th anniversary of Bjørnsterne Bjørnson’s death. You ask, who? In the 19^th century Bjørnson was more famous than his contemporary, Henrik Ibsen. A hundred years later practically no one outside of Norway has heard of Bjørnson. He received the Nobel Prize in literature in 1903, was a prolific writer, poet, and fighter for human rights. He is the author of Norway’s national anthem, Ja, vi elsker dette landet (Yes, we love this country). The Norwegian national anthem isn’t much better than the Star Spangled Banner (musically), but at least the texts speak of peace and love, not guns and bombs exploding. The men’s chorus presented a concert consisting of several pieces with Bjørnson texts.

The weather this week has been great. All early flowering plants are in bloom. Saturday I cycled to Alstahaug and back (32 km roundtrip). This time it didn’t seem so hard. Maybe I’m getting in shape. I walked around the Petter Dass Museum and bought a few cards. In Saturday’s mail delivery came my new resident number/tax number from Folkeregister. Now the only bureaucratic item left is to get my passport stamped with the resident permit.

Sunday was a busy day. At about 9:40 am I met our senior minister-dean and his wife at the office and we drove to the ferry connection to get to the island of Tro. There were about 20 people attending this 11:30 service at a school. After the service we took the ferry back. Olav Rune (senior minister-dean) and his wife Marit invited me to dinner at their house. They grilled some pork tenderloin, sausages and mushrooms. We ate outside with their daughter Marta under a summer enclosure. The weather wasn’t so warm, but at least there was not a steady rain. After coffee and dessert I went to the church to prepare for the evening service at 6:30. Everything went well.

At the end of week 23 (June 13) sunset is about 1 am, sunrise is at 1: 15 am. The sun is now spinning around us in one large circle.

Monday morning: there must have been a power failure during the night. Both of my electric clocks were two hours off and my alarm clock was two hours late. Tuesday I waited about ½ hour in line at the bank to get a new credit card. My new resident ID number requires that I get a new credit card which gives my id number. I can’t access my bank account by computer but at least I can continue to buy things by credit card at the grocery store. The bank official said a new card has been ordered and it will be in next week. On Wednesday the staff at church had a going away party for Kristine Almås. She directs the gospel choir and the Friends choir. Wednesday evening I attended the church council meeting. They wanted to know my thoughts and intentions on the choral program.

Scandinavia has a fixation with the microphone. Last weekend I watched a Danish program on music on television. A wind group (flute, oboe, clarinet, flute, horn and bassoon) played a few pieces together, and then each player demonstrated his instrument. The music was all classical – mostly baroque. At the end they had a vocalist with a microphone sing something in a pop style. I don’t understand this mixing of styles, and I probably never will.

The church in Sandnessjøen has two groups of singers in which each singer has a microphone. Maybe Scandinavians have a karaoke complex. I don’t understand it. I’ll ask some musician friends who can explain it. At the Friends concert they used a cd player as accompaniment: music minus one. (Which reminds of the definition of a castrato: music minus two).

Friday I played for a end-of-term ceremony/church service for a nursing school. I keep on forgetting that there is no separation of church and state here. The ceremony marked the important step for the graduates. The service included 4 hymns, prayers, a biblical reading, sermon, Lord’s Prayer, creed, and Ten Commandments.

Friday afternoon I finally got a car, actually I’m leasing a small van. The vans are cheaper to rent/buy than a passenger car. The van I have is no longer than a regular car, but it is higher. There is only one passenger seat, so if I have more than one guest I will have to rent a regular car. But on the practical side I can put my bike in the back.. Not having driven a car in nearly 2 months it was a little strange at first.

After the summery weather last week, we’re back to early-spring weather. This past week was mostly cold and rainy, but at least it didn’t snow.

First week in June

The end of week 22. We’re getting closer to the summer solstice. Last week it seemed to be getting warmer with hints of summer. This past week put an end to thoughts of summer: we didn’t have snow but it hailed on Friday. The temperatures didn’t get much higher than 50 F.

I was finally able to open a bank account. More about that in a later post.

The wedding season gets busy later this month, especially at Alstahaug – the medieval stone church. I had a wedding on Saturday. Beginning in late June there are 2 ceremonies each weekend.

On Sunday there were two confirmation services at Alstahaug Church: one at 11 am and the other at 1 pm. About 150 at the first service and 200 at the second. It’s amazing that the minister (Katrin Wiegmann) got through all the liturgy and blessing of each confirmand in just under 45 minutes for each service. Sverre Rattsø played alto saxophone for each service. Everything went very well.

I need to get a car, especially for this summer. With all the weddings and other services/devotions at the other churches I can’t depend on local bus (they don’t run on Sunday mornings. On weekdays there is one at 7:15 am. The next one is at 1 pm). The best solution seems to be to rent long term. Not knowing how long I’ll be here, this seems to make the most sense.

Today sunrise is at 2 am, sunset at 12:20 am. Length of day: 22 hours, 20 minutes.

Catch 22

Week 21 began with the last of the holidays in May: Pentecost Monday. On Thursday the church staff (ministers, musicians, and religious education teachers) went by boat to Herøy, an island about 45 minutes west. The purpose of the meeting was to plan next year’s activities for the confirmation class of 2011. After the meeting I rushed back to play a funeral. (On average there is about 1 per week). I still haven’t heard anything from Folkeregister about getting an ID number. I am probably caught in some sort of Catch-22 situation. Folkeregister won’t give me an ID number until I’ve received a residence permit. A bank won’t open an account for me until I’ve received an ID number. And I can’t get paid until I get an ID number and bank account number. The residence permit takes time – up to 8 weeks. This is week 7. I’ve been to the police office to inquire about how long I will have to wait. No answers yet. In Norway’s bureaucratic jumble I am being shuttled from one office to another, only to be told that they aren’t responsible. And then back. It’s frustrating. Is this the Peter principle in action, or passing the buck? I’m sure there are plenty of examples in the U.S.

On to a more cheerful subject: on Saturday I had a rehearsal with the Helgelands Chamber Choir (Kammerkor). They are preparing a program for a concert in June at Alstahaug Church as part of the Petter Dass celebration week. (Petter Dass was a famous poet/clergyman who lived here 1647-1707). I am the accompanist for this concert. The concert will be conducted by Christopher Eva, a British musician, who has lived in this part of Norway for 15 years. The program is very interesting: quite a few pieces by Norwegian composers, a cantata by Buxtehude and two pieces by Purcell – the large “Rejoice in the Lord always”, and the short “Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts”. The concert will be on June 20.

Sunday morning services were in Sandnessjøen. (Today is Trinity Sunday). There were about 50-60 in the congregation. Pretty much all the leaves are out now. People are mowing their lawns. Everything is green -- quite a difference from 3 weeks ago.

Today sunrise is at 2:30 am; sunset at 11:45 pm. Length of day: 21 hours, 15 minutes.

Spring finally arrived!

This is the week that spring arrived! (week 20). The trees are finally turning green. Some people are mowing their lawns. All it took was a couple warm days and everything burst forth.

Week 20 began with Independence Day, the 17^th of May. There was a 10 am service at church (there is no separation of church and state in Norway). The hymns at the service were mostly Norwegian patriotic songs: Ja, vi elsker dette landet, Gud signe vårt dyre fedreland, Fagert er landet, and a couple others which had no connection to Independence Day. Most of the women (and a few men) were decked out in their bunads (national costumes). There were about 60 in attendance. After the service there was a short outdoor ceremony remembering those who fell during WW II. A men’s chorus sang Ja, vi elsker dette landet. There was a short speech, role call of those who died, and the laying of a wreath in their memory.

I spoke with a lady named Berit whom I had met earlier. It turns out that a pastor from Decorah, Iowa was here in Sandnessjøen for a year in the late 1990’s. The pastor’s name is Paul Christenson. I remember him when I was a student at Luther. Small world.

After the wreath-laying ceremony I walked downtown to see the parades. Around noon the parades met downtown. All the school children marched, each school with its own banner. There was also a borgertog, a citizen parade. Anyone who wished could walk along. The main speech (talen for dagen) was a little long but stressed respect and tolerance for each other. (Could the U.S. learn something from this?) Unfortunately the weather then turned sour. It didn’t snow but a cold rain began with strong winds that went right through you. But fortunately the cold weather came after the parades. There were two free movies at the end of the day for children.

My work week is much more regulated here in Norway than it was in the States. I am entitled to two complete free days per week. Since I had to work on Monday (a holiday), Tuesday and Wednesday, I was given Thursday and Friday off. Leisure time is highly prized. (Saturday I have to play for a wedding, and Sunday two services for Pentecost). I bought a mobile phone and did some other shopping. Friday was a gorgeous day. Not a cloud in the sky, but temperatures only reaching the mid 50’s. Ash from the volcano in Iceland has closed some airports north of here. They may close all the airports on Saturday.

Sunrise for Saturday the 22 of May is at 3 am; sunset at 11:10 pm. Total daylight is just over 20 hours. The 4 hours between 11 and 3 are not dark: they transition from dusk to twilight. Just one more month left of increasing light. Rain is forecast for the weekend.

Saturday I played for a wedding at the medieval stone church called Alstahaug Church. The oldest part is from about 1200. The church is one of the gems of the area. For a short time this was the regional cathedral for northern Norway. The organ is very interesting: a one-manual instrument built in 1898 by Rieger of Austria. It's a mechanical action organ but needs some maintenance. This wedding was very simple: no prelude music, just an opening wedding march, 2 hymns and a recessional march.

Week 20 ended with 2 services for Pentecost Sunday. The morning service was in Sandnessjøen Church followed by a sort of grilled hotdog picnic. There were 4 baptisms at the service so the attendance was quite high: 105. I helped with grilled hotdogs. Picnics are very popular with kids, reflected by the high turnout of children. The afternoon service was an outdoor affair on the southwestern end of the island, near Tjøtta. We had to transport an electric piano, along with refreshments. Fortunately the rain held off and the outdoor service went ahead as planned, although few attended: a total of 6. On the way back we saw 4 moose. Tomorrow (Pentecost Monday) is a holiday, the last one for awhile.