"Feelgood" concert with Rybak in Tune church Sarpsborg, article on sa.no, 18.12.2020

The violins of Alexander Rybak and Ingrid Berg Mehus did not spread the virus, only joy

A review of the Christmas concert in Sarpsborg (Norway) in a local paper.

Alexander Rybak and Ingrid Berg Mehus and their violins helped to create
 a Christmas atmosphere in Tune Church on Friday. 

Author and photos:  John Johansen | Source: Sarpsborg Arbeiderblad (site) - in Norwegian (text) | 18.12.2020 | Translated by Mónika Menyhért

Once upon a time, the fiddle was the instrument of sin. Not any more. In Tune church, it created good feelings and Christmas mood when the Christmas concert of all Christmas concerts visited the church on Friday.

"Stille Natt Hellige Natt" is considered the oldest traveling Christmas concert in Norway. With veteran Rune Larsen and the "Wiggling Fiddler" Alexander Rybak (Spellemann/Fiddler vs. Sprellemann -  "sprelle" means in Norwegian "wiggle" - t.n.) in the lead, the ensemble tried their best to make the 50 listeners forget the corona, sideways rain and melancholy darkness.

- For me, "Stille Natt Hellige Natt" is the real Christmas concert, says church servant Sigrun Solvang in Tune congregation.

She has worked in the church for about ten years, and has attended this concert about as many times.

"Stille Natt Hellige Natt" - the concert was created by producer Tor Arne Ranghus 32 years ago.

Alexander Rybak and Ingrid Berg Mehus in Tune church. 

Not as easy to arrange now during the pandemic

But Tune Church is what, in these viral days, is called "a singing church." That is, the church room is so large that the risk of spreading coronavirus through "unbridled" singing voices is considered minimal.

At least the violins of Alexander Rybak and Ingrid Berg Mehus did not spread the virus, only joy.

The other actors did the same - Maria Haukaas Mittet, Ingrid Berg Mehus and Hans Marius Hoff Mittet as well. But especially when Rybak struck a chord with traditional American country and a fantastic improvisation for Bjarne Rønningen's "Vi tenner våre lykter"/ "We light our lanterns", the night was not only quiet and holy. It became pretty rhythmic too.

"Vi tenner våre lykter"/"We light our lanterns" was immortalized through the NRK series "Skomakergata" and Alexander Rybak claimed that it was the first bright and light children's song he heard. 

Watch the self composed version of this song

 in his virtuos performance in a TV-show earlier:

    

          .......................................................................................

Ingrid Berg Mehus (left), Maria Haukaas Mittet, Hans Marius Hoff Mittet and Rune Larsen visited Tune Church with the "Stille Natt Hellige Natt" concert on Friday. In addition, we heard Tove Kragset on piano and Bernt Rune Stray on guitar.

Rybak, who originally comes from Minsk in Belarus, claimed that all Belarusian children's songs are in minor.

- But when I came to Norway I finally heard one in major, Rybak smiled.

Rybak was not alone on the violin. His classmate in his time at Barrat Due - Ingrid Berg Mehus - also contributed to an absolute "Felegood"/"Feelgood" night. ("fele" actually means "violin" in Norwegian, so this is actually a word play - t.n.)

Stille Natt Hellige Natt" - the concert

 has been going on for 32 years

 and church servant Sigrun Solvang 

has watched many of them in the last nine years, 

even when she is not at work, 

she goes to Christmas concerts in Tune church.

Since the start of the Stille Natt concept, which is arranged in a collaboration and raises money for the Strømmestiftelsen, 550,000 people have listened to the concerts. Tune Church can accommodate 550 

listeners. On Friday, they were decimated to 50.

- I hope we get to experience Stille Natt also at Christmas 2022, church servant Sigrun Solvang emphasises. But with a full church. Then the mood will be best.

The concert ended traditionally with the songs "O helga natt" and "Deilig er jorden" - where Hans Marius Hoff Mittet and Maria Haukaas Mittet incredibly managed to create Christmas peace even though the Østfold snow outside drummed on the windows in the form of 20 mm rain.

Tune Church can accommodate 550 listeners. On Friday, there were 50 present, below ten percent of the maximum capacity, due to the corona restrictions. 
But another concert was held too - so that 100 people ttended the concert.

(The translator of this article is not native either in the Norwegian or the English language, so any correction is welcomed and appreciated.)