Birgit Nilsson, the Swedish Dramatic Soprano who tamed Richard Wagner, was a league of her own. 2018 celebrated her centenary. Her voice reverberated against the walls of the world’s greatest opera houses for nearly 40 years. She was best known for her performances in the operas of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss.
Come and enjoy local opera expert Erika Reitshamer’s audiovisual tribute to this great Swedish soprano whose accomplishments in the world of opera are unequaled.
Saturday, Januay 25, 2019, 1-2:30 pm | $15; $7 for SCC members
ABOUT ERIKA: Erika Reitshamer, born and educated in Germany, is a passionate and lifelong fan of opera. She was active in the formation of the Boston Lyric Opera Co. more than 40 years ago. As Vice President of the Boston Wagner Society, she presented lectures, organized concerts, and promoted visiting scholars. She is a board member of the New England Opera Club and teacher of opera appreciation for LLARC at Regis College, Sharon and Sherborn Lifelong Education. Her last presentation for SCC was Mozart’s MAGIC FLUTE – “Trollflötjen.
Join the Saga Thing podcast for a live presentation as John and Andy sort out the story of the Vikings in the New World. The legendary adventures of the Vinland settlers lead us to the modern search for evidence of Viking settlements from Dighton Rock to the Charles River and from Massachusetts to Newfoundland. Learn the story of how, where, and why Scandinavian explorers made their way West–a saga a thousand years in the making!
Friday, January 31st | 7pm | free with registration
Brothers Lawrence Wilde and Charles Boguinia come together to present a program of piano music by Edward Grieg and new new compositions for the Swedish nyckelharpa, violin and piano inspired by Swedish and Norwegian Folk music.
Lawrence is a composer, violinist and nyckelarhap player. He completed his undergraduate studies at the Juilliard School and is currently a Ph.D. Candidate at Princeton University. Charles is a pianist and composer, he studied piano at the New School in NYC with Vladimir Feltsman and is currently completing his Ph.D. in Boston.
The Voices of Scandinavia program will feature piano works by Edvard Grieg and new compositions for nyckelharpa, violin and piano composed by Lawrence Wilde. The concert is the culmination Lawrence’s artistic research of Scandinavian folk music and the Swedish nyckelharpa. Last year Lawrence spent a year studying and researching Scandinavian folk music and new music in Stockholm Sweden.
His research resulted in the release of two albums:
Fossegrim for re-tuned violin (inspired by Norwegian folklore and different hardanger fiddle tunings)
and
Pendulum for nychelharpa (exploring the Swedish nyckelharpa)
Lawrence fell so much in love with the nyckelharpa that he acquired one from Olle Plahn, a well-known maker of the instrument in Sweden and brought the nyckelharpa back with him to the US!
The Voices of Scandinavia concert will open with a pre-concert discussion about Scandinavian folk music and a demonstration of the Swedish nyckelharpa.
Saturday, February 8th | 1pm | $15; FREE for SCC Members
Hidden between a row of fishermen gutting fish, standing on a floor full of blood and intestines, we find nine-year-old Tobias in front of a big box filled with cod heads. With an almost frightening pace, he cuts the tongues from the heads, and puts them on a big nail.
Many other children work as cod tongue cutters, and Tobias’ girlfriend Ylva and her friend will spend their winter up North to learn the art of cod tongue cutting. The girls are also eager to attend the World Championship of cod tongue cutting, where the child cutting the most tongues in two minutes becomes the new World Champion.
“A disarmingly charming doc about some of Norway’s surprisingly independent youth.” — WF
83 minutes; in Norwegian with English subtitles
Saturday, January 4th | 1pm| $5; free for SCC Members
We are pleased to be co-presenters for the Women’s Shorts being presented as part of Wicked Queer, the 36th Annual LBGTQ+ Film Festival being shown virtually between July 4th and August 2nd.
The Women’s Shorts examine love, break-ups, hook-ups, Fundamentalist Christians, and surprisingly no cats, round out this year’s women’s shorts program. Curated by Katie Shannon.
Included is Sweden’s My World in Yours (Min värld i din). Shams and Stella are in love. Shams hasn’t told Stella that she seeks asylum, nor about Hanine who’s still in Palestine waiting for Shams to help her come to Sweden. Stella works at the Migration office. When Shams has her interview with Swedish Migration Board, Stella shows up as the assistant judge. Shams has to tell the truth to get asylum.
Directed by Jenifer Malmqvist | 2019 | 30 min | Sweden | Swedish with English subtitles
Alarm dispatcher and former police officer Asger Holm answers an emergency call from a kidnapped woman. When the call is suddenly disconnected, the search for the woman and her kidnapper begins.
Saturday, December 21st | 1:30 | Free; $5 suggested donation
85 minutes. In Danish with English subtitles.
Films start at 1:30pm. Refreshments for attendees are served at 1pm. Lunch (not included) is available in the Kaffestugan, which is open until 3pm every Saturday.
Join us for an opening reception for Swedish born, Rhode Island resident, Jens Retlev’s second show at the SCC.
On Display through February | Email Kerry for viewing times
ABOUT JENS: Jens grew up in Sweden surrounded by the most beautiful landscapes in the world, as well as cities with amazing architecture. His father was a painter and an architect, and he was raised to respect and appreciate the beauty around me. Jens came to Rhode Island as a young adult and was drawn to the enchanting coastlines, forests, and mountains in New England.
Jens uses his art to capture his memories of Scandinavia as well as all that what he has experienced, and continues to experience, throughout New England. To him it is a privilege to be an artist, and he strive to use color, texture, and shadows to express his love of and enchantment with the natural world.
When I first started envisioning SMÅ ART, our small works event, it was to be a night meant to be in our beautiful Nordic Hall, bustling with artists and friends. We’d enjoy some wine and treats together and look at an explosion of 8×8 art pieces from artists from across the country. The night would end with a silent auction; guests leaving with a special 8×8 creation that caught not only their eyes, but their heart. Sadly this vision was not destined to happen, but with so many talented and generous artist working on pieces especially for SMÅ ART we knew that we couldn’t let even a global pandemic stop us.
