Musik
Catherine Chapman
Catherine has played fiddle all her life. Well, actually, she started out with the violin but could not keep her feet fromt tapping in even the most rigorous chamber music ensemble. Then she discovered folk music and the joy of playing for dancers.
She’s played for Scottish dancers, Irish dancers, English dancers, cloggers, contra dancers, French Canadian dancers and has loved it all. And then, one fateful day many years ago, a friend introduced her to swedish folk music and she was swept away into the world of polskas and hambos. She hasn’t looked back.
Catherine has studied with tradition-carriers in this country and in Sweden, and regularly plays with groups at festivals and dances..
She is the Managing Director of Washington’s Spelmanslag, and has helped the group to grow even in a pandemic!
Kerstin Hendrickson
Kerstin’s interest in Swedish folk music and folk traditions began in 1975 after her move to the United States. She began by joining the Nordic Dancers, made her own traditional Swedish folk costume, and started violin lessons. While visiting Sweden over the years, she has taken every opportunity to participate in Swedish folk music festivals, and record the folk music- which she then reviewed and learned from. Kerstin bought her first Nyckelharpa in 1990, and has learned music and technique from visiting Swedish masters.
The most comprehensive immersive folk music learning opportunity occurred for Kerstin during the one year Nyckelharpa course she took (2018- 2019) at the Swedish National Center for folk music and dance, the Eric Sahlström Institue, Tobo, Sweden. There she was instructed by the best master musicians, and has invited several of those masters to perform concerts for the Swedish Church of Washington D.C. during the past year using online services.
Kerstin has been the director and coordinator of the Swedish Song Group-Svenska Sånggruppen since 1993, and has organized and led the yearly Lucia Choir from about the same time. Stefan Brodd has greatly assisted Kerstin as the music director for both groups. Kerstin has also been a member of Washington’s Spelmanslag since its start 15 years ago. She has also been part of the Swedish folk group Spelkamraterna, with Stefan Brodd and other talents.
Since 1995, Kerstin has organized thirteen large scale community-singing events known as Visafton, held at the historic Adelphi Mill, Adelphi, MD. Musicians, singers, and story tellers from many regions of Sweden have performed. The fourteenth one in 2019 was called Allsång i Washington, which was held in Bethesda, MD. Each of these special community-singing events included live performances from Swedish master musicians & singers. These fun events included homemade Swedish food, comedy skits, and dancing.
Kerstin received the Henry Hanson Award in 2018. Kerstin is currently on the Swedish Church Board as the music coordinator.