Laurie Hart

The Series 

My project Scandinavian Fiddle Tradition consists of 5 albums, and soon a tunebook, of 140 traditional dance tunes from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, with their beautiful harmonies and compelling rhythms.  All 5 CDs are available now, with the tunebook, Give a Coin to the Fiddler, coming later in 2024.

I am setting out to create the resources I wish I had had when I began learning to play and dance to Scandinavian music in the mid-1980s.  The tunebook will contain all 140 tunes on the 5 CDs, with background info, style tips, maps, photographs, harmonies and chords.  Beautiful tunes at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels on fiddle, hardingfele and nyckelharpa, are perfect for learning, teaching, harmonizing, performing, playing for dancing, and jamming. 

The musicians & instruments of SFT's five volumes

Stefhan Ohlström is a Riksspelman ("fiddler of the realm"), a winner of the prestigious silver medal in Swedish traditional fiddling in 1983.  Stefhan grew up in Uppland, lived in Västmanland many years, and now lives in Dalarna.  He performed with Ceylon Wallin & other great musicians of the folk revival, and continues to teach & play for dancing in both Sweden & the USA, where he made his home for 15 years. What are the chances a riksspelman would turn up 5 minutes from my house?  I was privileged to play with Stefhan regularly all those years, to enjoy his dry sense of humor, and to have his help in every aspect of this project, from new tunes and performing together, to photography, history, Swedish language and nyckelharpa repair. He is in demand for his beautiful & skillful harmony playing on fiddle & viola, which you will hear on all 5 albums.