Scandinavian Cultural Center

July-August Issue

The Stockholm Bachkören (Bach Choir) will perform in Lagerquist Hall at Pacific Lutheran University on Saturday, August 6, at 7:00 PM.  Admission:  $10 (General), $8 (Seniors/SCC Members), and $7 (Students).   The 30-member choir will perform vocal music of Nordic composers (Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish) as well as a Bach motet.  This event is sponsored by the Scandinavian Cultural Center and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

 
The choir was formed in 1964 by Anders Öhrwall as a group specializing in the music of the Baroque. Their  musical vivacity, suppleness of rhythm, and carefully molded articulation has earned them an important place in Swedish music-making.

In 1998, together with the Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble and Anders Öhrwall, the Bachkören presented a Bach Festival at their home church of Adolf Fredrik, Stockholm. In the course of eleven concerts, the two ensembles performed all of Bach's main vocal compositions (the Saint John and Saint Matthew Passions, the Mass in B minor, and the Christmas Oratorio). The choir produced two recordings following the festival, entitled Bach Highlights and The B minor Mass. 

Conductor Mats Nilsson obtained his postgraduate degree in choral conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. He returned to Sweden after five years as Musical Director for Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Australia’s largest choral organization. While in Sydney, Mr. Nilsson was a lecturer in choral conducting at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and is currently serving in the same capacity at the Royal Academy of Music, Stockholm.

The B minor Mass at Adolf Fredrik Church has become one of life's necessities. The mind and the senses are sharpened.  The body and soul delight in the precision, the emotional and the extraordinary almost dancing easiness, which is so typical for the Bachkören.
     —Dagens Nyheter, Stockholm

Conductor Mats Nilsson
Photo by Johan Ljungfström

For more information about the  Stockholm Bachkören, visit their website:   <http://www.bachkoren.com>.

Outstanding Service Award

Presented at Norway Centennial Banquet

by Susan Young

The Norway Centennial Banquet on May 21 was a time for celebration and recognition. Following a delicious meal, outstanding entertainment, and lively speeches, SCC Director Susan Young took the stage to present the SCC’s 5th annual Outstanding Service Award. She was accompanied by Inge Miller, the 2004 award recipient. Traditionally, the Scandinavian Cultural Center Council presents the Outstanding Service Award at the Spring Banquet, held in May of each year. This year, the SCC Council decided not to host that event in order to provide full support to the Norway Centennial Banquet.

The selection for the Outstanding Service Award is based on a person’s exceptional commitment and dedication to the mission of the Scandinavian Cultural Center, and one who actively seeks to preserve and promote Nordic traditions for future generations. This year, the award was presented to Betty Larson. Betty is a tremendous asset to the Council, whether serving in a leadership role or quietly working behind the scenes. Currently, she is serving as Council Vice President, Chair of the Program Committee, and Chair of the Sankta Lucia Planning Committee. Betty is an outstanding event planner and coordinates many of our events. But, her dedication and service to the Scandinavian Cultural Center are not limited to leadership positions. She is always the first to volunteer for the “not-so-glamorous” tasks, like providing airport transportation and taxi service to visiting speakers and entertainers, and offering food and lodging to them after they arrive. She also takes an active role in pursuing and securing corporate funding for many of our events and exhibits, making it possible to expand the scope of our event planning.

Betty Larson (center) proudly displays the Outstanding Service Award plaque that will be on permanent display in the SCC.  Betty's name is engraved on the plaque along with previous award winners.  Betty is joined by SCC Director Susan Young (left) and 2004 award recipient Inge Miller (right).

Betty Barbro Larson was born in the Midwest to Swedish immigrant parents from whom she leaned to speak Swedish.  At an early age the family moved to Enumclaw where Betty grew up.  She married her husband Ed the same weekend that she graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a degree in nursing, and they have been married just shy of 47 years. Betty and Ed take great pride in their Nordic heritage (Ed is half Swedish and half Norwegian), and they have shared their family traditions with their three children and six grandchildren.  For many years, Betty operated a Scandinavian gift shop from her home.  After a seven-year career as a registered nurse, she went on to receive her teaching credentials.  As a third grade teacher, she always included a unit on Sweden.  Betty also served as a regional representative of the American Scandinavian Student Exchange program for five years, and opened her home to several Swedish exchange students during that time. Betty’s strong desire to see the SCC continue to grow has led her to bring new members, including her own children, to the general membership and the council.  She consistently displays great passion and for her rich Nordic heritage, and exemplifies the characteristics of commitment, dedication, enthusiasm, and perseverance in support of the SCC.  Thank you Betty, and congratulations on receiving this well-deserved award!

News and Notes

WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS!  We are always pleased to present the names of our new members and to let you know that our membership rolls are continuing to grow!  Welcome to: Karen Giguere (Spanaway), Paul and Selma Hageman (Orting),  Rich and Connie Hildahl (Long Branch),  Kathrina Jaech (Steilacoom), Denise May (Seattle), Joanne McDonald (Tacoma), Dick and Marcia Moe (Tacoma), Jill Monson (Puyallup), Douglas Oakman (Tacoma), and Karen and Ted Wasley (Puyallup).  The Council also wishes to welcome our newest student member, Margaret Cox (Gig Harbor).  Margaret is a junior at PLU and was recently hired to serve as assistant to the SCC director.  She will be working throughout the summer and coming school year.

ATTENTION SCC MEMBERS:  Periodically, our members receive emails with information about Nordic events and activities happening in the Greater Puget Sound Area.  If you would like to receive these updates and are not currently on our email list, please let us know.  Send your email address to <youngse@plu.edu>.

OUR CONDOLENCESS:  The SCC Council wishes to express sincere condolences to the families of Arne Pederson and Stewart Govig.  Arne and Stewart were longtime supporters of the SCC and they will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved them.

ENDOWMENT FUND:  We encourage you to consider making a contribution to our endowment fund.  Your donation, regardless of the amount, will help ensure the preservation of Nordic heritage at PLU and the Pacific Northwest.  If you would like to make a donation, please make your check payable to the SCC and mail it to:  Scandinavian Cultural Center, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA  98447.

NEW BOOK ON MEDIEVAL ICELAND:  When a nameless Norseman sat down to write the “Saga of the People of Eyre” in the 13th century, the brutal story was already centuries old.  Today, this ancient tale is masterfully retold in Jeff Janoda’s Saga: A Novel of Medieval Iceland, a rich historical  novel of the first Icelandic settlements.  Praise for the Saga:  “As focused as Jane Austen, as macabre as Stephen King, Jeff Janoda traces out the hidden springs of power in the micro-society of an Icelandic fjord. He tells a tale of a complex feud with all the fullness and detail of a modern novel, but leaves its violent and treacherous heroes as enigmatic as before.  A brilliant blend of scholarship and insight.” —Dr. Tom Shippey, professor at St. Louis University, and author of The Road to Middle Earth.

        "A book is a gift you can open again and again."
           --Garrison Keillor

SCANDINAVIAN SMÖRGÅSBORD: The 2005-2006 season of Tacoma Symphony Orchestra will open on October 15 with Scandinavian Smörgåsbord, featuring Swedish soloist Marie Birve. The performance in the Pantages Theater will include selections by Edvard Grieg, Jean Sibelius, Hugo Alfvén, and Gustav Mahler.  In cooperation with the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra, we are pleased to announce that members of the SCC and other Nordic organizations can purchase tickets at a 20% discount!  You’ll also enjoy a backstage tour and a private reception. To purchase tickets ($32/person) contact Janet Ruud, 253-564-2832, <ruudj1norw@aol.com>.

PRESIDENT’S CORNER . . .

It was wonderful to see so many of you at the Norway Centennial Banquet in May!  Betty Larson, who has put in countless hours of dedicated service, was honored as recipient of this year’s Outstanding Service Award.  Congratulations, Betty!  Our SCC Spring Banquet, which was not held this year in order to support the Norway Centennial Banquet, will be on the calendar next year for sure!

Thanks so much to those of you who called to make reservations for our first Membership Meeting to be held June 23.  There were also many calls from people who said they wanted to attend but could not.  Therefore, the Council decided to postpone it until September 24 (in the afternoon!) to give more people the opportunity to attend.

I was not too disappointed in the decision to postpone the Membership Meeting, but for another reason.  In the March issue of the “Scene”, I told you that the council is in the process of clarifying our relationship with PLU and developing a statement of understanding for the future of the SCC.  We have made progress over the last few months and have had great discussions with several PLU people.  We are not finished yet, but are looking to put on the “final touches” in the next several weeks.  So, when we hold our Membership Meeting in September, we will be able to give you a complete report!  I am very excited about the positive things that have happened as a result of this process, and I think you will be too!  So – I hope you will mark your calendar right now, and join us for our first ever Membership Meeting on September 24, 3:00 PM!

I was able to attend the latest meeting of our SCC volunteers and thank them for being so faithful in their work as docents during the Center’s open hours.  Susan Young took us all on a “tour” of the wonderful Nordic folk art exhibit (have you seen it yet!?) and gave the volunteers excellent pointers about personalizing the exhibit for our visitors.  While we were there, two visitors from Norway just happened to come in, and it was such fun to talk with them!  One was a former PLU student, who was returning after over ten years to see the SCC and the PLU campus – it was heartwarming to see that PLU is a place she obviously cares for a great deal!

Other recent visitors to the Center were the Director and two Vice Presidents of the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation in Portland.  Susan Young and I met with them and answered many questions about the operation of the SCC.  They were very impressed and envious, as they are in the difficult planning and fundraising stages for building a Scandinavian Center in their city.  It was really good to meet them and establish connections.  We all agreed that we need to work on sharing our programs and ideas.  Susan and I are planning a reciprocal trip to Portland in the very near future.

I know that we have been emphasizing Norway this year, because of the Centennial, but weren’t you glad to see that our front page article this issue features a Swedish choir?  We are very honored to present the Stockholm Bachkören on Saturday, August 6, and I look forward to seeing you there!

Please call or e-mail me any time if you have ideas for events or exhibits, or if you have questions or concerns about the Council, or just to chat for a while.  Your support of the SCC is much appreciated, and I’d love to hear from you!  253-564-2832 or <ruudj1norw@aol.com>.

I hope you are having a fun and relaxing summer! 

Hilsen! —Janet

P.S.  We say a reluctant good-bye and best wishes to Council Member Jeaneen Hamlett who is moving to Ohio soon.  Jeaneen has served as our Exhibits Committee chair, and we will miss her!  That having been said, we are obviously in need of a volunteer to fill that position.  Could it be you?

by Susan Young

At the April meeting, the Scandinavian Cultural Center Council elected officers for 2005-2006.

     President -                             Janet Ruud
     Vice President -                      Betty Larson
     Secretary -                             Maynard Hedegaard
     Treasurer -                              Norita Stewart
     Activities Group Coordinator -  Jeaneen Hamlett
     Outreach Group Coordinator -  Lisa Ottoson
     Services Group Coordinator -   Maynard Hedegaard

But wait, you say!  Isn't this the same group as last year?  And the answer is yes; with the exception of Secretary, the officers have agreed to extend their terms of office.  There are two major reasons for asking them to do this: (1) the Council felt it would be advantageous to provide continuity as we complete the process begun last fall regarding the relationship of the SCC and the University (see President's message on page 4), and (2) others who were asked to serve were not able to do so at this time.  It is an honor and a privilege for me to work with this outstanding group of dedicated volunteers who labor tirelessly to carry out the mission of the SCC.  Unfortunately, since the election in April, Jeaneen Hamlett has resigned (I will miss her expertise as Exhibits Chair!), so we will be looking for someone to fill her spot.  Let me know if you are interested!

Scandinavian Cultural Center Council, 2005-2006

      Susan Young                                 Director
         Janet Ruud                                     President
         Betty Larson                                   Vice President
         Maynard Hedegaard                     Secretary
         Norita Stewart                                Treasurer
         (Position open)                              Activities Group Coordinator
         Lisa Ottoson                                  Outreach Group Coordinator
         Maynard Hedegaard                     Services Group Coordinator

Council Members

   Claudia Berguson               Ed Larson                      Kerstin Ringdahl
   Karen Giguere                     Judy Laursen                 Audun Toven
     Tom Heavey                       Ulla Lindwood               Julie Watness
   Esther Hinschberger          Gunnulf Myrbo               Don Wilson

Advisory Members

      Doug Oakman, Dean of Humanities

Associate Members

      Linda Caspersen-Andersen             Inge Miller
        Laila Hansen                                       Gail Sawyer
           Marge Kunschak                                 Nicki Tollefsen

George F. Russell, Jr. Receives First Tacoma Peace Prize

On the evening of May 21, 2005, at the Norway Centennial Banquet, the first Tacoma Peace Prize was presented to George F. Russell, Jr. for his work in the realm of peace education, security and peace awareness both regionally and globally.  While his success in the investment field is no secret, his calling to spend the rest of his life to peace endeavors is far less public.  He has been called a visionary, in that he sees time not in terms of months or years, but in generations and centuries.  His “hands-on” efforts in the arena of peace work have touched lives in our own neighborhoods and in countries around the world.  Accepting the award on behalf of her father was Sarah Cavanaugh.

Calendar of Events July/August 2005

Scandinavian Cultural Center

Pacific Lutheran University