The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.2009, Qupperneq 37

Vol. 62 #3
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
179
And they also enjoyed the lines that
came out of the Icelandic tradition of pok-
ing fun at the “man of the hour”:
I still can hear them playing
“Goodnight, Sweet Dreams” and Johnny
saying, “The next waltz will be a dance.”
What a celebration of music in
Riverton! The move from Sophies’s base-
ment into the Hall meant that now young
and old were enjoying and embracing the
singing and the songs. Singers need an
audience and Riverton was proving to be
an enthusiastic one. Music was growing
deep roots in Riverton.
Growing up, fishing on Lake
Winnipeg, I inherited the value of hard
work but I value equally what I got from
singing and music - right from our family-
singing of the old and new songs, appreci-
ating the glorious strains of the violins,
learning to play the guitar as we sang hun-
dreds of country, folk and pop songs and
to sharing this music with the community,
young and old alike. Our singing might,
indeed, stem from a singing/poetry tradi-
tion that the immigrants brought with
them from Iceland. As with many of those
who played a part of this decades-long
experience, our two children have likewise
shared in this inheritance. Both of them as
adults play the violin and love to sing.
Many who shared this musical experience
simply see it as a normal part of life - just
something we did in Riverton. But in our
hearts, we know it is something special -
really special - an inheritance that I deeply
appreciate.
949-2200
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