Lögberg-Heimskringla - 12.09.1963, Side 2

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LÖGBERG-HEIMSKRINGLA, FIMMTUDAGINN 12. SEPTEMBER 1963
Islendingadagurinn At Gimli
A summer day as perfect
as a jewel, with clear warm
air and sunshine, favoured
the Icelanders of Manitoba
and their guests as they ob-
served their 74th annual
Islendingadagurinn, Icelandic
Celebration, at the Gimli
Park.
The day began with the
usual parade, which this year
started its course through
town at the Johnson Memor-
ial Hospital, allowing patients
and staff to see the floats as
they passed. Many excellent
floats were entered, though
not as great in number as in
past years.
First prize went to the Min-
erva 4-H Club float.
Second prize went to the
Clover Farmers, from Tip Top
Clover Farm Store.
Third prize went to Chudd
and Sons Garage.
A record number of people
lined the entire parade route,
more than we have ever seen
before. The parade was led
by the smartly uniformed
Gimli RCAF band, parading
along as if they were not at
all uncomfortable in their
winter uniforms. They were
followed by the Maid of the
Mountains, Mrs. Gudrun Ste-
vens, and her attendants Miss
Lynda Stevens and Miss Dar-
lene Erickson, escorted by B.
V. Amason. The car of May-
or Violet Einarson followed,
and a group of smart little
majorettes from Winnipeg
came next.
After parading down Centre
Street and in front of Betel
Home, the parade wended
its way to the Cairn, where
the Fjallkona laid the custo-
mary wreath in honour of the
pioneers, and the Icelandic
hymn was played.
Shortly after, a full pro-
gramme of sports began in
the park, with races and
events for all ages, Helgi
Johnson was in charge of the
sports. The Hanson Trophy
for the best single competitor
was won by Ken Kristjanson,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Baldur
Kristjanson, and the Gimli
boys won the Oddson Shield
for group points.
At 2 p.m., the programme
began for the older people,
with the Maid of the Mount-
ains being escorted to her
throne in front of the majestic
painted scenes of Iceland.
John Amason, master of cere-
monies, o p e n e d the pro-
gramme by calling for O Can-
ada and O Gud vors Lands,
followed by the address of
the Fjallkona. Her speech,
written by Rev. P. M. Peturs-
son, with a poem, Vorvisur
til Islands, by the late P. S.
Palsson, was the traditional
greeting of Mother Iceland to
her children, expressing her
warm good wishes to them
for a good day and a happy
future.
The Ukrainían Male Vöice
Choir, led by Walter Bohon-
os, then presented their first
g r o u p of unaccompanied
songs, in Ukrainian, English,
and Icelandic.
It was a courageous gest-
ture on their part in singing
for the first time in Icelandic,
the native tongue of thóse
they were entertaining. Ice-
landic listeners found their
first song lacking a certain
soft minor tone of the natur-
al Icelandic, but comments
on their Icelandic lullaby
presented later were very
favourable regarding their in-
terpretation and presentation.
The guest speakers then
brought greetings from vari-
ous groups — Mayor Violet
Einarson leading off with
greetings in Icelandic ahd
English from the town of
Gimli; Rev. P. M. Petursson
from the Icelandic National
League; Hon. Dr. George
Johnson from the province of
Manitoba; Consul G r e 11 i r
Johannson, and others.
Mrs. D. E. M. Allen then
entertained with two very
lovely vocal solos. The Ode
to Iceland, Minni Island, was
given by Rev. Kristjan Rob-
ertsson of the Argyle parish
in Manitoba, a recent arrival
from Iceland. His talk was
an informal one, reminiscent
of days in Iceland, bringing
to his listeners, nostalgic
memories of their beloved
homeland as it was when they
lived there themselves. He
spoke of the vast difference
between their little northem
island and the vast land of
America, and of the home-
sickness which assailed them
when they first came here to
live. But he called their at-
tention to the cold waves of
Arctic air which are at pres-
ent sweeping over Iceland
chilling the air, in contrast to
the beautiful day they were
enjoying in the Gimli Park.
The poet of the day, Hjor-
tur P a I s s o n, presented a
beautiful Icelandic p o em
dedicated to Iceland.
A special insert was put in
the programme booklets hon-
ouring the poet laureate,
Guttormur J. Guttormsson,
who visited Iceland this sum-
mer as a guest of the Icelandic
National League and friends.
He addressed the gathering
briefly in his usual humour-
ous fashion.
Following another group
of songs by the choir, Erlin-
gur K. Eggertson gave the
Ode to Canada.
The main text of his speech
was in regard to the lack of
material for those who have
not been able to learn Ice-
landic at their mother’s knee,
to obtain a working knowl-
edge of the language of their
forebears. He said that there
were ample aids available for
learning other languages such
as German, but that although
Icelandic was a more diffi-
cult language to learn than
German, there were only two
books available as primers,
and these both assumed that
the leamer would be study-
ing under a qualified teach-
er. He urged that thought be
given to the publication of
good primers and study books
so t h a t English-speaking
learners might have a chance
Framhald frá bls. 1.
Saskatchewan Government to
compose an opera for the
Province’s G o 1 d e n Jubilee
celebrations. Other composi-
tions of his have been per-
formed by the Regina Sym-
phony Orchestra, and over the
CBC network.
Professor Thorolfson was on
the faculty of the Conserva-
tory of Music, Regina College,
University of Saskatchewan;
conducted the Conservatory
Chorus; and is much in de-
mand across Canada as an ad-
judicator, examiner and lec-
turer. T h e s e adjudications
have been in the major (final)
festivals in the large Canadian
centres, for the Federation of
Music Festivals. Frank is one
of the very few Canadians tó
adjudicate at these festivals
with the British adjudicators
who come annually for this
purpose, and many of them
have given testimony to the
outstanding work done by
Frank in this field.
In 1959 he was appointed
Director of Music at Mac-
|
Master University, Hamilton,
Ontario. Since coming to Mac-
Master he has had a Piano
Suite of his performed over
the CBC network (radio) and
a Fanfare ior Brass over the
CBC-TV network. During the
past two years he has lectured
to many different organiza-
tions in that area. Early in
1961 he was elected to the
Board of Govemors of the
Hamilton Conservatory of
Music and in 1962 to the Board
of Govemors of the Hamilton
Philharmonic Orchestra. He
also gave a very successful
series of sixty Television Lec-
ture in 1962, for MacMaster
University i n conjunction
with CHCH-TV (Hamilton).
This series, which is being
repeated in 1963, deals with
many aspects of music includ-
ing music appreciation. Since
coming to McMaster’s he has
been conductor of the Bach-
Elgar Choir of Hamilton,
which under his direction has
performed many n o t a b 1 e
works of the Masters, includ-
ing The Creation, by Haydn
to study the language for
themselves.
Another group of songs by
Mrs. Allen and God Save the
Queen, concluded the after-
noon programme.
A sing song in both Eng-
lish and Icelandic was held
during the evening, led by
Gus Kristjanson and accom-
panied by Mrs. Jona Krist-
janson.
The day concluded with a
dance in the pavilion, with
Johnny and His Musical
Mates providing the music.
and Stabat Mater, by Dvorak,
as well as works by Handel.
He has been presented in re-
cital as soloist by The Faculty
Club, and by the McMaster
Symphony Orchestra. He has
participated in the first Festi-
val of the Arts sponsored by
MacMaster University in 1962.
At the Intervarsity Choral
Festival held in Hamilton,
Feb. 10, 1963, which is now in
its 15th year, Frank Thorolf-
son not only conducted his
own MacMaster University
Choir, but was chosen to con-
duct the massed choirs of the
universities and colleges tak-
ing part,—these include The
Ontario Agricultural College,
The University of Toronto,
the University of Western
Ontario, and McMaster’s Uni-
versity. At this festival each
choir sings its own numbers,
and finally all combine in
several massed choir selec-
tions. The responsibility of
conducting the massed num-
bers rotates annually among
the participating universities
as do all the duties of the host
university. The Intervarsity
Choral Festival has been
highly successful in encourag-
ing choral music on the differ-
ent campuses and has become
a major student activity,
boasting the largest student
participation of any univer-
sity activity.
Not only is Frank a thor-
oughly able and brilliant per-
sonality in the field of profes-
sional music, but has a knack
of having a lot of fun with
music study as well, and giv-
ing lighter type of entertain-
ment. This is, attested to by
his “fun recitals” where he
spoofs various aspects in the
field, just for the fun of it.
One such was recently review-
ed when he gave his “musical
oddities” address to a large
audience at a program spon-
sored by the Brantford Sym-
phony Orchestra. This review
read in part:
Ridiculing t h e common
theory that music is a holy
shrine, Prof. Thorolfson pro-
ceeded to “have fun”. Armed
with a record player and a
piano, the jolly professor soon
Frank Thorolfson, Noted Musician
reduced his audience into fits
of convulsive laughter. He be-
gan with a few examples of
critique styles adopted by cer-
tain joumalists and news-
papers. One such example was
—“Miss X gave a song recital
last night. Why?”
Another was the result of a
New Orleans newspaper —
without a drama critic—which
sent its prize-fight reporter to
cover a Paderewski recital. It
was not surprising that the
ensuing report was written on
a punch-to-punch basis —
Paderewski being described as
“the best two-handed piano
fighter I have ever seen.”
Other items on his program
were equally hilarious, and
light-hearted. Dogs singing a
waltz, a military air and
Christmas music, while “the
chroriically poor singing of
the wealthy eccentric Ameri-
can Florence Foster Jenkins
singing the Laughing Song
from Fledermause brought
down the louse” (this is pro-
bably a misprint and should
read “house”, but I thought
it added to the unique humour
of this piece, so I let it stand.
H.D.).
“Closing the evening, Prof.
Thorolfson admitted: ‘This
sort of thing is perfectly
healthý—and concluded all
the damage I can do today”.
During the past summer
Professor Thorolfson has been
lecturer at the summer course
in music given by the Univer-
sity of British Columbia.
Frank was married in Chi-
cago to a young woman who
has had a successful career as
a writer in Public Relations
work.
Kristján Samsonarson frá
Bugðustöðum í Dölum orti er
hann hafði lesið bækurnar
Höllu og Leysingu, eftir Jón
Trausta:
Gata er naum og grýtt er vað
gengi straumar banna.
Lífið saumar oftast að
æskudraumum manna.
Sr. Helgi Sveinson orti við
Kristján Einarsson skáld frá
Djúpalæk:
Með svo kláran þroska og
þrár
þekki ég sárafáa.
Um hans brár og höfuðhár
hjúpast áran bláa.
ROSE THEATRE
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