Tune archive Denmark

  • Herr Oluf han rider (DgF 47), a quite famous ballad that tells about the fateful encounter of sir Oluf with the fairies, and has close parallels in all Nordic countries and the rest of Europe. (Click here for some English versions.)
  • Dronningens dans, a folk dance from Fyn (see the dance).
    (Tune, chords + dance description in Danish ; for English translation, click here).
    In a Danish hammered dulcimer manuscript from 1753 (“Tablature indrettet til Hakke-Bret“, Musikhist.Mus.Kbh) this tune is called “Rakes of London”. In Norwegian dance collections from about the same time, it bears the same title, or the label “Engels Dantz”. Contemporary folkies may know it as “Rakes of Mallow“.
  • Hornfiffen fra Randers, a folk dance from Randers, Jutland (see the dance).
    In Norway it is called “Sekskrossedans”, “Tretur fra Fana” or “Seksmannsril fra Åker“; in Finnish-speaking Finland it is called “Pilkutin 1. osa.”; in Swedish-speaking parts of Finland “Fyra man engelska från Geta” and “Kökar Engelska”. In Sweden it is known as “Engelska efter Per Munkberg” (SvLSk 769). English-speaking folkies may recognise the tune as “Soldier’s Joy”, but it has many names and choreographies in Europe. In an 18th century manuscript held by the Danish Royal Library, it carries a French title “Le Salut Royal” (more details in Danish).
  • Den svenske maskerade (= Swedish masquerade), a Danish gammeldans which is also popular at ceilidh dances in Scotland. The tune (as well as the dance) mutates rhythmically from a march into a waltz and then into a hopsa. Perhaps therefore is called a masquerade (but you’ll look for it in vain on Swedish dance floors). According to this document “Om traditionel fynsk dansemusik” (1994), it appeared in the tune manuscripts on the island of Fyn around the year 1900 and has been kept in living tradition since then.

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