State Fairgrounds, Raleigh NC - 10am - 6 pm, Saturday Dec. 4th 2010

Entertainment schedule for Scandinavian Christmas Fair 2010

The 2010 Scandinavian Christmas Fair will be held from 10am-6pm Saturday December 4th at Holshouser Building, NC State Fairgrounds. Click here for directions

Performers

A SPEX-tacular production of Henry the 8th!
"Spex" has been a genuine Swedish university tradition since the 1860s. A mixture of drama, music and farce, a spex is actually a parody of the theater in which all female roles are performed by male actors. Spex are often about historical figures. And, of course, the history is always re-interpreted to make it more fun!

Today’s performance is based on a spex from Chalmers Technical University in Göteborg, Sweden -- originally produced in 1954. It is about King Henry the Eighth of England, who had six wives and executed them all - if you believe the spex (-- but don't!). The four actors (Erik Kind, Sten Ekberg, Magnus Edlund and G öran Rygert) and the pianist (Gabe Granitz) are all members of the Vasa Drängar, Atlanta. 

The Triangle Spelmanslag
The Triangle Spelmanslag (Scandinavian folk band) studies and performs traditional Swedish and Norwegian folk music. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, these musicians use instruments such as fiddle, tramporgel (pump organ), nyckelharpa, bass fiddle and spelåpipa. For more information, contact Katherine Polk (919) 967-4967.

Scandans!
Scandans presents the folk dances of Sweden Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland! The mission of the Scandans organization is to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Nordic countries through the presentation of traditional dance and authentic national folk costumes. Drawing from a performance repertoire of over 100 dances, the Scandansers have educated and entertained diverse audiences at many local, regional and national events. For more information, visit www.scandans.com.

Vasa Drängar Swedish Men’s Choir of Atlanta
Vasa Drängar, the Swedish Men's Choir of Atlanta, was formed in 1996. Combining male voices from many organizations in the Georgia Scandinavian community, the choir sings traditional folk songs, religious music, and jazz in all Scandinavian languages as well as English. For the past decade, Vasa Drängar has performed in Atlanta and other areas in the Southeast. The choir is under the direction of founder Göran Rygert, who arranges much of its music.

Jan Johansson and Friends
Born in Skellefteå in northern Sweden, Jan began playing acoustic guitar at the age of 14. By 18, he had added fiddle and mandolin to his repertoire – and had fallen in love with American Bluegrass music. After completing graduate degrees in linguistics, Jan began his full time pursuit of Bluegrass. He moved to Cary, North Carolina in 1989. Jan has taught music and performed in well known bands including the award-winning New Vintage and the Nashville Bluegrass Band. For more information, contact Jan Johansson at 919 380-9970, or visit his Web site at www.monroestyle.com.