Lögberg-Heimskringla - 27.01.1978, Page 3

LOGBERG-HEIMSKRINGLA, FOSTUDAGUR 27. JANUAR 1978
a
lcelandic tradition imported to Canada
BONFIRE IN HEART LAKE
Þór Jakobsson veturfrctingur
VILLÆ£NE\A5
a Newsletter for tbe residents of the
Villages of Heart Lakc
NEW YEAR’S EVE BONFIRE:
A hugc bonfire is planncd for around 9:00 p.m. on
thc Town Ccntre sitc bctwccn Concstoga Drivc and
Sandalwood Drivc. This is a community projcct
which will cnlist the hclp and aid of you and thc
children and tecnagcrs in thc arca to collcct as
much burnable matcrials as possiblc, such as old
wood, cartons, boxcs, paper, ctc. This projcct has
bccn approvcd by thc City of Brampton and thc
Fircchicf’s officc. Thc dircctor of this evcnt is
Dr. Thor Jakobsson, 65 Fanshawc Drive, 843-1592
This is a first in Brampton so lct us all try and
participatc and makc it a succcss. Evcryonc is in-
vitcd along with thcir fricnds.
SERVING THE NEW ‘------REGION OF PEEL
THE DAILY TIMES, Tneuday, Jannary 3,1978 PAGE 3
Hundreds in the new com-
munity of Heart Lake crowded
around on New Year’s Eve to
observe an old Icelandic
tradition. The first year for the
community had ended, and
many decided they should end
it together with a bonfire.
Resident Thor Jatobsson said
the lighting of a bonfire was a
tradition in Iceland and he
thought it would be a good idea
to start a tradition in his new
community. He said he plans to
make it an annual affair.
ICELAND
An artist I should want to be
When viewing Iceland’s streams,
Her ice-clod peaks, her waterfalls
before were only dreams.
But seeing Geysir spraying mist
into the fair blue sky —
Those dreams I had are now alive
In mind and heart and eye.
Her rugged crags, majestic tors,
Her gently sloping hills —
Then rushing torrents swallow up
The sparkling mountain rills.
Mid banks of fog, and sometime mist,
Or softly falling rains
The'lang-haíred sheep and ponies graze
Upon the grassy plains.
It has been named a land of Ice,
But what is in a name —
After viewing all its beauty
Will one ever be the same?
As I return to my homeland
This thought runs through my mind:
How can there be a heart unmoved
To leave this land behind.
Skapti O. Thorvaldson
July 13—1377.
DOREEN JOACHIM
ICELANDIC SOPRANO IN RECITAL AT
THE ART GALLERY
DOREEN (Borgford) Joach-
im was presented in a solo
recital at the Muriel Richard
son Auditorium of the Win-
nipeg Art Gallery, Decem-
ber 8, 1977. Miss Joachim, a
lyric soprano, has had an
impressive musical career.
After taking private vocal
studies in Winnipeg, Calgary
and Toronto, she furtherer
her education at the Univers
ity of Toronto in the faculty
of Music-Opera. Her studies
were supplemented with
two summers at the Banff
School of Fine Arts, as well
as Drama and language
studies of the Univeráity of
Alberta. In addition to three
scholarships Doreen was the
winner of “The City óf Calg-
ary Performing Arts” award
She has completed two
seasons with the Canadian
Opera Company and has per *
formed with Edmonton Op-
era Company and the Banff
Opera Centre Tours. Her per
formances on CBC, recitals
for CTV Network and her
numerous concerts have
been praised from Coast to
Coast.
When she arrived for her
Winnipeg recital, Doreen
was just concluding a recital
tour of Western Canada. In
some of the reviews from
Vancouver and Nanaimo her
voice has been described as
magnificent, with full-bod-
ied rich resonance.
Doreen sang a group of
Icelandic songs, with warm
lyric expression: a cycle by
Hector Berlioz and some
spirited opera. selections.
The second half of the pro-
gram was devoted partly to
a song cycle composed by
her accompanist, Dr. Charles
M. Wilson, to a poem of som
bre gloom, which did not do
much to lift our spirits, but
Doreen handled it with sure
strong technique, and
brought out the dark tones,
with remarkable dynamic
force. Said the Calgary Her-
ald in review of her concert
there: “She gave her best to
the performance of this
work. She used her strong
bright lyric voice with ex-
ceptional dynamic variety
and an intelligent use of the
many colors she can draw
from her instrument...........
Joachim is one of those rare
singers who can also sing in
English and make almost
every word intelligible.”
Other songs on the pro-
gram were a cycle by Aaron
Copland and short pieces by
Charles Ives. She sang them
without artifice, which was
refreshing, and throughout
se showed a poise and
graceful stage presence.
Following the recital there
was a small reception with
coffee and vinarterta. Unfor
tunately it was a miserable
stormy night and the attend-
ance was very small, and
the Art Gallery advertising
left much to be desired.
Doreen was brought up in
Winnipeg, the daughter of
Edward (Eddie) and Jean
(Tackaberry) Borgford, —
Eddie was brought up in Ar-
borg, Man, and Jean is of
Irish descent.
H.D.
Dear Mr. Asgeirsson,
It was nice meeting with you last month
in Winnipeg at the L-H. office. — This
letter is a comment of Geir H. Gunn-
arsson’s article in L-H Jan. 13, 1978
where he discussed the vinarterta and
other Icelandic originated delicacies. —
He went on saying that the present vin-
arterta in Iceland doesn’t have much in
common with the Icelandic Canadian
Vinarterta except its layers. The prune
filling, so unique to the Canadian vers-
ion does not exist in Iceland today, or
so he said. Few years ago, after my
wife, who is a Canadian of German de-
cent, acquired a recipe of the Vinar-
terta, baked it expecially for an Ice-
landic student who happened to be
from the northern part of Iceland, got
his comment that it was “just as my
mother makes ii.” This makes me think
that the vinaterta versions depend upon
geographic locations of the country just
as so many other foods. After all, as far
as I can determine, most of the Ice-
landic immigrants to Canada in the last
century just happened to be from north
ern Iceland.
Take the pönnukökur, for instance: —
Some people prepare them with sugar
and cinnamon others with jam and whip
ped cream. The crepes of western Eur-
ope, are very similar to the “Icelandic
Pönnukökur” and who is to say which
one is the original?
Sincerely yours,
Herbert N. Beck.