Scandinavian/American music at Timbers Event Center Friday

Skålmusik and Tjärnblom will be performing in Bagley on Friday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m. at Timbers Event Center in Bagley, the Daroo’s building west on Highway 2 in Bagley. That will be following by a dance after the concert.

Skålmusik (pronounced SKOAL-musik) performs traditional Scandinavian and Scandinavian/American dance and vocal music. They are descendants of immigrant Swedes and Norwegians to Minnesota, they play the music of their heritage on fiddles, accordions, guitar, double bass, pump organ, and string bass.

Wife and husband team Mary Abendroth and Paul Wilson are both inspired by their families: Abendroth specializes in singing lullabies and "ditties" she learned from her Swedish grandfather, and Wilson makes violins in the tradition of his great grandfather. Brothers Arne and Bob Anderson grew up in a family where all seven children and their parents played music together. Arne has been a professional luthier for 25 years and has built hundreds of string instruments, and Bob still plays the same string bass he has owned for over 50 years.

Completing the band on piano accordion is Harold Herboldt, who has been playing for about 60 years.

Skålmusik has performed at elementary schools and elder hostels, ethnic festivals, community celebrations, state fairs, and historical societies. They have performed for the King and Queen of Sweden, appeared on Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion," and toured in Sweden and Norway.

Also performing on Friday night will be Tjärnblom. The group is comprised of four friends who live in Minneapolis and have played Scandinavian music together for many years. They travel a modern "Snoose Boulevard Highway" in a musical journey, and play a repertoire of both old and new Swedish, Finnish, and Minnesota tunes for dancing and for listening.

Tjärnblom is the name of a Swedish flower and this album is yet another flower born in Minneapolis’ Scandinavian American music community. Two nyckelharpas (Swedish key fiddle) played by Cheryl Paschke and Mary Crimi are joined by the sound of harmonium (Val Eng) and octave mandolin (Joe Alfano). The result is a beautiful blending of string and wind sounds. The tunes are a journey through several provinces in Sweden, new tunes from Minnesota, two tunes from Finland and a Gaelic melody as well. The exquisite arrangements of the tunes delight the ear. Tjärnblom loves to play music for dancing. So be prepared to keep your feet moving as you listen to their joyful Swedish folk music.