Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

Family Tales, Different Perspective. Happy Birthday Mamma

text and images britt-arnhild

My mother´s 82nd birthday.

Terje and I drove to my parents´house after work and had an early dinner there. The four of us ate at a corner of the old black table, inherited from my grandparents. The huge table was already set for coffee.

Uncle John 85, mother´s oldest brother, arrived first. By taxi. With his walker. Then mother´s younger sister with fiancee, older sister with husband, a couple of very dear family friends.

My mother had been rehearsing a new piece of piano music.

How I love to listen to her playing.

 

I couldn´t help teasing uncle John: "I know why my mamma is such a clever piano player. When you were kids the piano was right outside your room, and every time you sat down to do your homework, she started to practice. Just to tease you."

"You are right, but that´s only part of the tale" uncle John replied. "Actually I loved her playing. I stopped doing my homework to listed to her music, and slowly I started to know one composer from another. Her playing taught me to distinguish Bach from Mozart, she introduced me to Grieg, I loved her Chopin pieces......."

My mother had another piece to play for us. The first one was by the Swedish Peterson-Berger, this one was Russian.

 

I closed my eyes.

The music transported me 70 years back in time.
To a huge red wooden house.
A family of 6.
Mother. Father. An older brother. Three sisters.

A house filled with music, laughter, joy, but also tears, sorrows, teasing.

 

A house filled with life.

 

The history of my life.

 

Happy Birthday mamma.

And thank you for filling my life with music.

 

Photos: yesterday along the canal

 

Mother´s birthday was yesterday, March 5th

Impromptu

text britt-arnhild
images Mauro

Yesterday was my fathers 79th birthday. We had already celebrated on Sunday, but on a whim we decided to drive over to my parents last night.

Blessings like always.

Mother started to prepare a huge plate of smørbrød (bread with butter, egg, salmon, meat, cheese, you name it......) My father showed me his latest poem (the book he and I are working on is almost complete now)
Marta had brought her Mac to do home work while we four grownups chatted. It was alot about sharing memories, perfect on a birthday.

Then my father said: "Marta (my mother´s name is the same as our youngest daughter), I know BrittArnhild wants you to play. She always love that"

My mother´s playing.

Of course I love it.

Last night´s music was Schubert´s Impromptu.

I carry it with me today.

 

:::::::::::::::::::::::

Photos taken by Mauro in the summer of 2010.......all except the last one which was taken by me, the same summer.

Music for supper

text and images britt-arnhild

I´ve had music for supper two nights in a row. Different menues, though both in Olavshallen, both with Trondheim Symphonic Orchestra. The first night I went with a few colleagues. My parents were there also and I met them before the concert to have coffee. On the music menu was Fauré and Debussy. Fauré´s Requiem. Debussy´s Nocturnes.

I like to come early. Read the program. Let my expectations flow. Watch the musicians tuning their instruments

Fauré´s Requiem is some of the most beautiful music written. Debussy is not my favorite cup of tea, still okay and perfect music for wandering thoughts.

 

The second night was quite different. Same orchestra. Same music hall. Different conductor. This time it was my little brother. Torodd Wigum. Different music. Johan Halvorsen. Nino Rota. Jerome Kern. Igor Stravinskij. Johannes Brahms. Modest Musorgskij. Edward Elgar. And a few more.

Before the concert I had coffee. Not with my parents this time, but with Terje.

Friday night. A busy week is over.
Good to sit down together.
Good to share the week. 

Good to travel into the music hand in hand.

Good to walk home after the concert.

Hand in hand.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

 

:::::::::::::::

Saturday morning has come no.

Guess what I will be doing this morning?

 

And lucky me. After my camera morning walk I´ll meet up with an out of town friend. We will have lunch together and I know that words will flow.

 

Playing teenage memories. December 21st

text and image britt-arnhild

 

When I was 15 I got my own guitar. I sat in my room in the evenings, on my bed, teaching myself to play. I was in love with a guitar player, the most charming boy in town. I sang love songs. I dreamed.

The boy left my life. So did the guitar. 

Yesterday we had a Christmas lunch with my colleague, and all of a sudden I found myself playing a guitar again. Singing. With the other women. A song we had made specially for our male colleagues. My fingers were stiff, it must be more than 30 years since they have touched a guitar. But they followed the tune. And as we sang, as we played, my mind wandered back to my 15 year old self. Her beautiful, rose coloured, in love - life.

I knew nothing of the 53 year old Britt-Arnhild then. 

Or did I?

 

Too late........ and time for Wagner´s Der Ring des Nibelungen

text and images britt-arnhild

Encouraged, inspired, filled with enthusiasm after all you cheering comments, I had planned to ask one of my colleagues to come with me out in the park, to shoot photos of me diving in the autumn leaves piles. Showering myself in yellow and orange.

I just had to take part in a meeting first, with the sami group, all morning.

And when I walked with the others over to the restaurant Ni Muser to have lunch, I discovered municipality workers removing the piles.

I was too late.

::::::::::::::

 

The child in me must find another playground.

::::::::::

Tonight is the night for the opera lover in me though. Terje has a church board meeting, Marta has cheerleading. The other day I read A.S.Byatt´s Ragnarok, and inspired by the book I bought Wagner´s Der Ring des Nibelungen, and the companion book Ring of the Nibelung. Both book and cd arrived in the mail today from amazon.co.uk.

Tonight will be a Wagner Night in The House in the Woods.

Trondheim International Chamber Music Festival and two young men.

text and images britt-arnhild

Once upon a time there were two young men who loved music. One of them conducted a children´s orchestra where Torgeir and Øystein played, the other was best friend with my little brother Torodd.

The two young men were both talented musicians, they played in an orchestra, The Trondheim Soloists, and travelled the world with their music, visiting festivals, only to come home to a city where no classic festival was to be found.

"I feel that Trondheim is missing something" one of the men said to the other. "I agree" said the other, "Let us do something about that. Let us start Trondheim International Chamber Music Festival"

The two young men were clever young men, brave young men, not afraid to try young men. And 16 years ago Trondheim International Chamber Music Festival was born.

 

Terje and I had a date last night, a three course date.

- coffee with my parents, where one of the cakes was my mother playing the new piece she is practicing on her piano (Lawn Tennis by Peterson Berger)

- chamber music in the Freemasonry Hall in Trondheim with the German Hagen Quartet and the cellicst Ralph Kirschbaum

- dinner at Havfruen Seafood Restaurant

 

 

Vegard Snøfugl and Sigmund Tvete Vik, thank you for the wonderful gift you give Trondheim every yearin September. Thank you for The Festival.

A link to Trondheim International Chamber Music Festival

 

Embla, her mother, and Iceland......again

filming Embla Gabriela

music Fabula

text and photos britt-arnhild

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

My 12 year old niece Embla has done it again - made a music video with her mother´s song and singing.

Enjoy and share!

 

The photos makes me miss Reykjavik.

Below is a repost from February 1st 2010

 

 
My brother Børge and his family live in a penthouse flat in the middle of Reykjavik. With a view you can only imagine. My camera has been so busy these days. Not only taking pictures of the kids indoors, but on long walks I have done outdoors. In this area near the shopping street Laugarvegur, but also in other parts of the city.

 
When travelling, which I do often, one of the things I love the most is to walk around in local neighbourhoods, looking at houses, at doors, looking in windows making up stories of life inside.

 
A thousand years ago this island west of Norway was inhabited by Norwegians. Since then the two countries have strong links. Like brother and sister. Though I am not very satisfied with the Norwegian lack of support during the fatal financial crisis Iceland is living through these days.

 
I reflect on this while walking around in the area Reykjavik 101. There are so many similarities between Norway and Iceland, and also so many differences. Like sister and brother. Like me and Børge.

 
Børge was 20 when he moved to Reykjavik for what he had planned to be one year. He had met a girl from Iceland. This first "love story" didn't lead to anything, but once here he met Stina, and two years later our whole family came over for the wedding. This was in 1985, Torgeir was 3, Øystein 18 months that summer. Sweet memories. I remember I sewed and knitted for the boys not only for this wedding, but also for the wedding of my oldest brother Frode the same summer, up north in Lofoten. Light blue boys for the Lofoten wedding, pink and beige for Iceland. What a proud young mamma I was.......where has time gone?

 
My walk continues. My first visit to Reykjavik and Iceland was for the wedding in 1985, since then I have been back several times. The whole family of six on our way to USA to visit friends in Chicago in 1997, alone on my way back to Norway after spening two weeks in New York at the UN General Assembly in 2001, Embla's first birthday, Agúst's baptism........this is my 7th visit here.

 
There are strong bonds in our family. It is a challenge to live so far apart, especially when you don't see the children for months.....even years. But we know we are there for each other. Always.

 
 I am flying back to Norway today. Back to The House in the Woods. Back to Terje and Marta. Back to my job. Enrichened by my days in Reykjavik, my days with Børge, Stina, Embla and Agúst.

 
Once home, I will put the Iceland books into the shelves, and make a pile of books for the planning of my next travel........

 

 

A gift for you......Fabula, With His Eyes Closed

Music Fabula

Filming and clips Embla

Thank you for your care, your words and your prayes. I have one more way to cope with stress. I can share it with you here :-)

I have a gift for you today, to let you know how much I care for you. For you reading my blog, for commenting. House in the Woods would not be the same without you.

My sister in law has composed this song, and written the words. She sings, and the filming is done by her daughter, 11 years old Embla Gabriela (yes, you have seen a couple of her cartoons already, in this video she clearly shows her artistic skills, in spite of her young age).

ENJOY!

A Night in the Opera. La Fenice

Text and images Britt-Arnhild Wigum Lindland

Antonella, my dear friend and blog reader, came down to Venezia from the town where she lives (further north in Italy). She booked in at La Fenice Hotel, where I was already staying. We went out for an icecream, and then it was time for our treat for the night:

Lucia di Lammermore at La Fenice Opera House

Ever since I first heard of Fenice and her story of growing out again and again og her own ashes, just like the bird which gave her her name, I've wanted to go there.

Now the opportunity had come. Finally.

What a house.

What an atmosphere.

What music!

For three hours Antonella and I were in heaven.

During the break we were able to walk around in La Fenice, oh-ing and ah-ing, smiling, chatting, filling our minds and hearts with beauty.

 

Afterwards.......a late light dinner.......caprese for me, tomatoes and fresh buffalo mozzzarella cheese.

Friendship

Music

Food

Venezia

Warm Night

Symphony of a Thousand, Gustav Mahler

The concert from last night fills me today, and will, for a long time

 

I was in heaven. Do you know that music in heaven gives you goosebumps.

 

I just searched YouTube and found a lot of Mahler there. Here is part of Mahler's Symphony of a Thousand, the 8th Symphony