Where people get out no matter if the rain is pouring or we got a bit of snow in the air. People dress up, are happy and celebrate our independence day.

I’ve hopefully been able to get up by now and is heading into town dressed in my marching band uniform and with my trombone ready.

Or at least that’s the plan.

And for those that don’t know it. Her is the lyrics for the Norwegian National hymn if you come across some Norwegians abroad. I know this one played a lot in Sydney when I was there

Ja vi elsker.

1.
Ja, vi elsker dette landet,
som det stiger frem,
furet, værbitt over vannet,
med de tusen hjem.
Elsker, elsker det og tenker
på vår far og mor
og den saganatt som senker
drømme på vår jord.
Og den saganatt som senker,
senker drømme på vår jord.

2.
Dette landet Harald berget
med sin kjemperad,
dette landet Håkon verget
medens Øyvind kvad;
Olav på det landet malte
korset med sitt blod,
fra dets høye Sverre talte
Roma midt imot.

3.
Bønder sine økser brynte
hvor en hær dro frem,
Tordenskiold langs kysten lynte,
så den lystes hjem.
Kvinner selv stod opp og strede
som de vare menn;
andre kunne bare grede,
men det kom igjen!

4.
Visstnok var vi ikke mange,
men vi strakk dog til,
da vi prøvdes noen gange,
og det stod på spill;
ti vi heller landet brente
enn det kom til fall;
husker bare hva som hendte
ned på Fredrikshald![3]

5.
Hårde tider har vi døyet,
ble til sist forstøtt;
men i verste nød blåøyet
frihet ble oss født.
Det gav faderkraft å bære
hungersnød og krig,
det gav døden selv sin ære –
og det gav forlik.

6.
Fienden sitt våpen kastet,
opp visiret for,
vi med undren mot ham hastet,
ti han var vår bror.
Drevne frem på stand av skammen
gikk vi søderpå;
nu vi står tre brødre sammen,
og skal sådan stå!

7.
Norske mann i hus og hytte,
takk din store Gud!
Landet ville han beskytte,
skjønt det mørkt så ut.
Alt hva fedrene har kjempet,
mødrene har grett,
har den Herre stille lempet
så vi vant vår rett.

8.
Ja, vi elsker dette landet,
som det stiger frem,
furet, værbitt over vannet,
med de tusen hjem.
Og som fedres kamp har hevet
det av nød til seir,
også vi, når det blir krevet,
for dets fred slår leir.

And another song that you might get to hear

Norge i rødt, hvitt og blått (Norway in red, white and blue )

Hvor hen du går i li og i fjell,
en vinterdag, en sommerkveld blant fjord og fossevell.
Fra eng og mo med furutrær,
fra havets bryn med fiskevær og til de hvite skjær.
Møter du landet i trefarget drakt,
svøpt i et gjenskinn av flaggets fargeprakt.
Se, en hvitstammet bjerk oppi heien
rammer stripen av blåklokker inn.
Mot den rødmalte stuen ved veien,
det er flagget som vaier i vind.
Ja, så hvitt som det hvite er sneen,
og det røde har kveldssolen fått,
Og det blå ga sin farge til breen,
Det er Norge i rødt, hvitt og blått!

En vårdag i en solskinnstund
på benken i Studenterlund der sitter han og hun
To unge nyutsprungne russ,
to ganske nylig tente bluss i tyve grader pluss.
Hun er som en gryende forsommerdag,
som farves av gjenskinnet fra det norske flagg.
Ja, så hvitt som det hvite er kjolen
og så rødt som det rø hennes kinn.
Hennes øyne er blå som fiolen,
hun er flagget som vaier i vind.
Han har freidig og hvitlugget panne,
og en lue i rødt har han fått.
Med en lyseblå tiltro til landet,
står vår ungdom i rødt, hvitt og blått!

De kjempet både hun og han!
Nå lyser seirens baunebrann, utover Norges land.
Mot himlen stiger flagg ved flagg
som tusen gledesbål i dag, for alle vunne slag.
Det knitrer som før over hytte og slott,
et flammende merke i rødt og hvitt og blått.
Som en regnbuens tegn under skyen,
skal det evig i fremtiden stå.
Se, det glitrer på ny over byen,
i det røde og hvite og blå.
La det runge fra gaten og torget,
over landet som nordmenn har fått:
Du er vårt, du er vårt, gamle Norge!
Vi vil kle deg i rødt, hvitt og blått!

Two weeks ago I spent the weekend at Årvoll skole where we were part of something I really enjoy.

Bands Crossing Borders is a cooperation between NMF in Norway and the Field Band Foundation in South Africa. Since 2001 there has been an exchange of musicians between Norway and South Africa. Four or five South Africans come to Norway and some Norwegian go to South Africa to teach and learn music.

In Norway the South Africans travel around the country having seminars with different band where they teach South African songs and dance to Norwegians. Or try to

The playing of music usually works out good, but getting stiff Norwegians to move is another matter At least when it comes to the older generation like us. I guess the kids are easier to get moving.

But still it’s a lot of fun, you learn some new tunes by ear and play beats and rhythms that are a bit different from what we are used to.

This is the second time I’m part of it and I’m hoping it’s not the last.

I guess this picture sums up a bit of how it can be

After Muskeldundermarsjen to Verdalen I had a great time  with all my friends from Sørkedalen. The week after my trip to Verdalen I went to Tallin for a few days. Working. But still got some time to have a look around and find some GeoCaches. Yes I just got my self a new hobby. I guess Geocaching is the nerds way to get fresh air, or perhaps not.

Geocaching is a way to find places and read stories that you might have missed if you were just passing by. All over the world people hide geocaches, containers which at least contain a logbook that you can sign when you find it. You then get the GPS coordinates of the hiding place and post it in the Geocaching website other people can the locate the cache, and learn a bit of local history. Bigger caches can contain track able items that you can pick up and drop in another cache somewhere else, leaving a trail across the world on the Internet.

I guess it might fit just as well as a family hobby as a nerds hobby

The week after I came back from Tallinn I went to London for a few days to do some Blackberry training, and since the training was set for Thursday and Friday I got the weekend in London. Doing some more caching while seeing the sites and did a bit of photography. I’ll see if I can upload some more photos soon to. I’ve been experimenting with HDR images.

And the finally last weekend I went to Gothenburg with Lilleaker Janitsjar which was fun to. I guess that was the last of my concerts before summer

I guess that’s it for tonight, I better start writing a bit more often.

Det ble en flying start på årets store internasjonale muskeldundermarsj. Rett fra
barnefødsel kom Lommedalens store datter Leahmus Agrolica svevende over startstreken
med den nyfødte hengende i brystet. Fra Sørkedalen brus og edruskap stiller
hurtigkar og supersjarmør Speed Date Rennafart. Verdalen stiller med skistjerna
Hjørdis Rappen fra Fishølet turn og idrettsforening. Ingen internasjonal turmarsj
uten innslag fra vår nabo i øst; Søtabror Svensson har funnet toppformen etter lang
tids gangsperre.

Med på marsjen følger Oppmuntringskorpset Sørkedalen Homp & Blæs som vil bidra med
oppmuntrende toner i hilldur og valsetakt. De vil også fungere som notelesere for
sin sambygding Speed Date Rennafart, som er kjent for å hoppe av i svingen.

Turmarsjen følger Pilegrimsleden som for anledningen er forlenget til Verdalen
Folkepark. De konkurrerende har allerede passert Krokskogen og er rapportert i godt
driv mot Hønefoss. I tet ligger Søtabror Svensson etter at Leahmus Agrolica rotet
seg bort i ammetåka. Speed Date Rennafart skar over krøn, men håper å nype seg
tilbake rundt en stein på ytter. Vi følger spent med på den videre utviklingen i
marsjen.

Den store målgangen vil foregå i folkeparken i Verdalen, sånn rundt regnet klokka
etter lunsj lørdag 30. mai. Ryktet vil ha det til at Vømmølfestivalen arrangeres i
samme tidsrom, og deltakerne satser derfor på å bli feiret med et stort og vømlende
opptog.

Med vennlig hilsen markedssjef Sigfrid Sainndøla Svingtrapp

I’ve been to Hamar with some people form Sørkedalen brass and Vivo brass where we have had a seminar with some south Africans that are in Norway on a exchange program. They travel around the country doing seminars like the one we have been to and performing.

This weekend it was our turn, and apparently we are the first grown up band they’ve had. Which would be challenging in it self. but it went very well, I thing everyone there have had a great time.

We have rehearsed a few pieces without sheet music, just by listening to the instructors. It’s a lot of fun and actually not to hard. The biggest problem is remembering which parts belong to which song. But when you put it all together it seems to be working reasonably well.

The real test comes next Saturday when we are giving a concert with the stuff we have been working on this weekend. I’m really looking forward to that to, and hope I’ll remember what to play.

A week is a long time

if you are in town you should come visit and ave a good time. The concert is held at Årvoll Gård

Check out the poster: concert poster

Starting out with Dj Tiësto on Friday, and yesterday we played a rather good Christmas concert with Sørkedalen brass in Sørkedalen church. Then afterwards we had a Christmas party, great food, lots of drinking and laughter.

Sørkedalen brass is such a great bunch of people, loving it.

I think Tiësto plaid the best set he’s played in years, and even if they crammed 1800 people into the place it didn’t get as bad as I’ve expected. A bit of cuing to get inn, but not to bad, go frisked by a ho gal , to bad she was such a pro at what she was doing, a bit of cuing to get rid of my jacket and then into the main venue.

When I arrived DJ SL was warming ut and he played quite good, then I still haven’t figured out who came on next but he was dull, and I think a lot of people would agree. It seems that most of the room stopped and people just stood watching.

Then 10 minutes before Tiësto was scheduled the sound suddenly went. My first thought was “Fuck .. someone has managed to spill beer in the mixing table again ” (It has happened before) But after a few minutes of running by the crew they got it back up and running.

Then just past midnight Tiësto came on and he played a nice set until half past two, he started out with the first track from the latest in search of sunrise, as expected, played some from this latest album and towards teh end a few older tracks that i enjoyed. Especially “He’s a pirate”

All in all it was a nice evening, and I got home even if my legs were totally worn out. I guess doing a spinning class before such an event isn’t the best idea

And I lived in that dream all the way to the gym, and there warming up and watching the news they covered a story on sporting clubs not getting any support, or rather have to wait for 5-6 years to get any.

Guess it will be a cold day in hell before we get anything then.

It’s not actually a bomb that I ended up with an CONN 88H, but it could have been different. We went through and tested six different instruments but in the end the one I got felt the best for me. Tried one that was twice the price but it didn’t feel as good as the one I’ve got so I’m really happy.

But still it’s not cheap, but I think the 20k NOK is well worth it in the end.

This seems to be the start of something larger.

Yesterday I got to borrow a friends trombone in order to have something to play on while mine is being fixed, and now I’m sold. I need to get my self a better trombone that the one I got. Both the one I’ve borrowed and one I tested yesterday are way easier to play than my old one. I had such a good time playing yesterday.

And so the hunt is on to figure out which one I would like to play, and to figure out what I can afford