In retrospect

Today and tomorrow I’m in Mosjøen for a church music conference: “Gudstjeneste(sam)arbeid - Inspirasjonssamling for prester og kirkemusikere”.

It’s taking place in Fru Haugans Hotel which itself is set against some stunning scenery. Obviously I’m not taking huge amounts in but it is an opportunity to meet other priests and organists in the Helgeland area. One of them is Chris who I first met during my interview for this post and subsequently chatted in a less official capacity when I could ask any stupid questions I might have had without jeopardising the interview.

Mosjøen is the furthest I have travelled by myself - first a drive to Bjørn, a ferry to Sandnessjøen and then about an hour’s drive through yet more beautiful countryside and the tunnels mentioned in an earlier post.

It should have occurred to me earlier that this would happen but we all had to introduce ourselves. In retrospect, I might have chosen a slightly less unironed shirt to wear - I’m hoping they all thought it was a fashion statement. I managed to say (at least I hope it’s what I said!) “my name is Graeme, I’m the organist in Dønna and Herøy, I’ve lived in Norway for 7 days and I don’t speak Norwegian.” I got a wee round of applause so can’t have been too bad. And indeed someone complemented me later. Either way it’s an improvement on my French when I took the chamber choir to Orleans: “hello, my name is Graeme, I’m 12 years old”.

Norwegian church music has been reformed over the last couple of years and if I’ve picked it up correctly, this conference is about the books introduced in 2020 and how to use them.

The first hymn in the hymn book (no. 1) is by Petter Dass and my new employers are very proud of this as he was born in Dønna. But guess where is father was born? Dundee. Spooky 🙂

Over lunch I met a priest who was keen to chat. He had apparently always known that he wanted to be a minister but his mother was very keen for him to learn English so sent him across the water to some relatives to work one summer. No guesses required - again it was Dundee. Norway may be huge but the world is small.

It’s all amazing how I’m taking to Norwegian food - no idea what lunch was exactly - but it was a lovely fish on (forgive me) I think some sort of mushy pea thing with veggies. Coffee is on tap which is excellent as well!

We’ve got something up at Dolstad Kirke later this evening and then more workshops tomorrow before the end of the conference at lunchtime tomorrow. I hope the drive home will be as uneventful as the trip in today!