This program is cancelled: Join us for a fiddle competition at Håstabø

This year marks what would have been Ola Håstabø’s 200th birthday! Hardanger Spelemannslag, Hardanger Folk Museum, the Hardanger Folk Music Collection and Friends of Håstabø will celebrate this with several events throughout the autumn. The first event is a Hardanger fiddle competition at Håstabø itself, near Kvanndal, on Saturday 15 August from 12:00 to 17:00. The programme continues with dancing throughout the evening.

Programme

12:00: Super Competition

13:00: Fiddle Competition

17:00: Break / setting up for dancing

18:00: Dancing

19:30: Prize ceremony

20:00: Dancing

You can enter the following categories:

• Ensemble playing, junior and senior
• Hardanger fiddle, classes A, B, C and D
• Super Competition (for children under 12)

And, of course, there will be a prize for the best Håstabø tune!

Registration: pamelding@hardingfolk.no
Registration deadline: 10 August
Registration is free.

For questions, call Svein on +47 452 35 870.

Food and drinks, coffee and cakes will be available for purchase.

A very warm welcome!

Ola Håstabø

Ola Håstabø (1826–1899) was a Norwegian fiddler from Hardanger. He came from Løfloten under Håstabba, which is also the name by which the farm is known. Løfloten is located close to Kvanndal. More than 30 tunes associated with Håstabø have survived, either composed by him or passed on by him in his own distinctive versions. He shaped the tune Spelar-Guro, which he learned from Nils Rekve, as well as the bridal tune from Isak Rokne. Spelar-Guro was named after his wife, whose name was Guro. The tune is also known as Fjøllmanngjenta.

In his later years, Håstabø lived at Hamre. It is known that he played an Isak fiddle dating from 1751. Håstabø learned much of his playing from Nils Rekve and was one of his regular pupils. He also associated with Per Bulko and Nils Reiseter. He welcomed and played together with fiddlers from Telemark as well. Ola Mosafinn stayed at Løfloten in 1850 and learned a number of tunes from Ola. Håstabø had several other pupils, including Nils Tjoflot, whom he considered one of the finest, and Halldor Meland. Another pupil was Per Kjepso (1873–1925).