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Spælimenninir í Hoydølum
Spælimenninir í Hoydølum
The name means “the fiddlers, or players, from Hoydalar” – so called because the group was founded in the secondary school in Hoydalar just north of Tórshavn, in the autumn of 1974. Kristian, Hans Ole and Maggi have been playing in the group since the beginning; Alistair joined the band in the summer of 1976; Janne, Christina and Jógvan shortly afterwards.
Former members: Thorkild Rose from Krusaa in Denmark, on clarinet; Asbjorn Strom from Tvøroyri in the Faroes, on accordion; Keld Lund from Copenhagen, on string bass; Kolbein Simonsen from Tórshavn, on electric bass; plus a few dozen others who have come up and played with them on some occasions.
Spælimenninir have been playing in the Faroes, mostly at weekend dances in towns and villages throughout the country. But can hardly call themselves a “Faroese” band, as regards either personnel or music. Although the Faroes have their own lively tradition of vocal music and dance dating back to the Middle Ages, there is no tradition of instrumental folk music.
The material of Spælimenninir is a mixture of what they know from various parts of Scandinavia and Britain.