En vänlig grönskas rika dräkt

"En vänlig grönskas rika dräkt..." ("A Friendly Green Does Richly Dress..."), also called Sommarpsalm ("Summer Hymn"), is an 1889 Swedish summer hymn by Carl David af Wirsén.

Summer hymn

The summer hymn was sung for the Swedish royal wedding in 2010.

En vänlig grönskas rika dräkt is one of Sweden's best loved summer hymns, whether sung in unison or in parts.[1] For example, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden chose the hymn for her wedding to Daniel Westling in 2010.[2] In 2002 the hymn reached the Swedish pop music charts in a recording by The Real Group; it appeared on their Stämning CD.[3]

The first Swedish hymnbook to include the hymn was Nya psalmer (1921), where it was number 644. The melody was composed by S. Gastorius in 1675.[4] The melody used in most later hymnbooks is from a 1933 choral composition by Waldemar Åhlén (1894–1982).[5][6]

Reception

Cordelia Edvardson, writing in Svenska Dagbladet, identifies the hymn as a beloved example of popular poetry, part of the Swedish people's cultural heritage. So for example, she writes, in verse two "the dizzy birds" (de yra fåglarna) express the joy of summertime.[7]

Carlhåkan Larsén, reviewing Per Rydén's book about Carl David af Wirsén in Sydsvenskan, describes Wirsén as a loser on the dark side of literary history, only one of whose poems still survives: the summer hymn, En vänlig grönskas rika dräkt.[8]

Hans Holmberg, writing in Kristianstadsbladet, notes that the hymn is part of Sweden's summer repertoire, and that people usually sing "only the first three verses, which are a hymn of praise to summer."[9] But, observes Holmberg, the remaining verses are quite different: they give a feeling of decay, with the biblical phrase "All flesh is grass". The hymn, writes Holmberg, switches repeatedly between life and praise on the one hand, and death and decay on the other. En vänlig grönskas rika dräkt can be and is used both as a summer hymn and for funerals: but, remarks Holmberg, "I find it hard to imagine an occasion when the hymn is sung in its entirety".[9] In fact, Holmberg concludes, while Wirsén is now derided as a dusty permanent secretary to the Swedish Academy, he was actually too bold for us to follow nowadays.[9]

Publication history

References

  1. ↑ Gabrielsson, Alf. Translated by Rod Bradbury (2011). Strong Experiences with Music. Oxford University Press. p. 252. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
  2. ↑ Jonasson, David (19 June 2010). "Stockholm News". Crown Princess Couple married. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  3. ↑ Sveriges radio: Svensktoppen 8 June 2002. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  4. ↑ Koralbok till Nya psalmer, av konungen medgivna att användas tillsammans med 1819 års psalmbok. Nordisk Nodestik- og Tryckkeri, Copenhagen, 1921.
  5. ↑ En vänlig grönskas rika dräkt (Sommarpsalm)(#201). Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  6. ↑ Evangelisk-lutherska kyrkan i Finland: Psalmbok (1986). (All five verses) Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  7. ↑ Edvardson, Cordelia (16 July 2008). "Svenska Dagbladet: Nyheter". Beröva inte svenska folket deras kulturarv. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  8. ↑ Larsén, Carlhåkan (8 June 2010). "Sydsvenskan: Kultur & Nöjen". Allt om en loser. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  9. 1 2 3 Holmberg, Hans (5 July 2010) [2004]. "Kristianstadsbladet: Kultur". Från lovsång till förgängelse. Retrieved 21 May 2012.

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