Hi, everyone! I trust that each of you have had a wonderful, restful and happy holiday over Christmas and Hannukah. It has been a busy fall and Christmas season for me and our family on the musical front, which explains why I could not write an updated article earlier for my Facebook pages and www.trentbruner.com until now. For those of you who have recently liked and followed my artist page, I thank you publicly again for your interest and kind support as well as welcome the new followers who have come onboard. A warm welcome to you all! When concerts have not been happening with choirs and church either as a conductor, accompanist, organist, or simply taking tickets at the door for other arrangements, Sunday services have been my routine from early September until Christmas Day. Behind the scenes, there has been some church music planning for future activities in the Lutheran churches here at Osterøy, drafts have been written for new articles to be released on past and present inductees who are now in the Canadian Fiddle Hall of Honour, substitute piano teaching has happened at the Alver Culture School, composing has taken place behind the scenes in various music genres, and the formal conclusion of the Arne Høyland song project with the North Hordland Music Theatre (Nordhordland musikkteater) took place this fall as well. Here’s a summary. Saturday, October 19th marked the last of seven concerts in the Arne Høyland song project that were planned in 2023 and completed in 2024. Yours truly was on piano, looking after choir duties with The Alvidt-Manger Singers and was pleased to join local choir Feiekostane (Ann Christin Hoen, conductor) in the final concert of this presentation that gave a unique, but positive presentation on life in North Hordland through the songs of Arne Høyland. To all who performed over 2023 and 2024 with this fantastic project, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be part of the band, act as musical director and for allowing Alvidt-Manger to participate as the background vocalists. To have a chance to be a co-founder of a new cultural organization, notate a music book for a local songwriter who deserved much recognition, play piano and keyboard tracks on a Norwegian album release, and to see a project that brought many musical faces together in a way that will be remembered for all is something I will be always thankful for. Plans for a new project will be announced in 2025 with concert locations and dates to follow once all details are in place. This is being organized under the leadership of Jon Martin Skauge and his committee with North Hordland Music Theatre.
Shortly after the Arne Høyland production concluded, we sadly lost a member of the original committee and house band at the age of 74. Jarle Hanstveit was in many ways, the practical hands and resource person who brought many contacts together to see this project come to pass. I will not only remember him for his friendship and fellowship through this project, but I will also remember him for all the activities he was involved in throughout Osterøy, the Bergen region and throughout Norway in music, education, volunteering and networking in all that he did and the way he did it, with a calm, professional, courteous and respectful manner. A retired school vice principal and accordion player are only the positive public side of what he was and what he gave to anyone and everyone he met. His funeral took place in Hosanger Lutheran Church on Tuesday, November 12th with an overflow congregation gathering inside and outside the church. He will be missed by all who knew and worked with him.
In other musical news, the Tysnes Chamber Choir was active this fall with three church concerts. The first was at Tysnes Lutheran Church in Våge where the choir performed with the Os Men’s Chorus (Kristine Bjånes, conductor) Sunday, October 6th and followed up with a concert at the Tysnes Seniors’ Home in Uggdal with the same church program Tuesday, October 8th. The choir also sang in Onarheim Lutheran Church twice. The first time was on Sunday, November 17th for a local hymn sing and a community concert in December in a shared concert with the Onarheim Brass Band on Sunday, December 15th. Ingunn Myklebust acted as conductor for the Onarheim performances in my absence.
The Alvidt-Manger Singers participated in two Christmas concerts as guests of other music groups with full venues each time. They sang in Alversund Church Sunday, December 8th as guests with the Alversund Concert Band (Kåre Stokke, conductor), trumpetist Kayleigh Pearl Neff, vocal ensemble “Tonevrimel” and photographer Arne Årseth. The second concert in the Valestrand Kongshall Wednesday, December 18th with the Valestrand Brass Band (Vibecke Kleiven, conductor), the Reppen Chamber String Ensemble (Milica Toskov, leader) and tenor Jan Erik Endresen. The choir will open 2025 with an afternoon New Year’s concert Sunday, January 19th in the Bergen Lutheran Cathederal as one of seven choirs who will sing in a concert arranged by the Hordaland Chapter of the Norwegian Choral Federation.
Notation work continued with new fiddle tunes from John Arcand (where he has composed 24 new tunes over 2024 so far), one new tune from past Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Champion Mark Sullivan, and new songs from Alberta songwriter Caroline Parke that will be released on a new album in the coming days, if not released already. Catholic youth ministry “Cat Chat” will be releasing a new vacation bible school resource that includes an album with accompanying music and activity book through the efforts of Denise and Gerald Montpetit of Bruno, Saskatchewan, in the coming weeks. I was involved in notating the songs recorded on the project’s accompanying album.
In closing, our family wishes all of you a Happy New Year, and to those who follow the Julian calendar, a blessed Christmas to each and every one of you. Until next time, see you somewhere down the musical trail!
Musically yours, Trent
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