Toppen Summer School of Music

It is an international summer school of music being organised every year for 90-100 children and youth during one week, from about 15th August. The participants usually are 8-20 of age, playing string instruments or piano. There are rehearsals in various orchestras, chamber ensembles, individual lessons and master classes, improvisation workshop, music theory, and folk music from the participants’ countries.

The last years about 30 have come from abroad, most of them from Russia, Sweden, Finland, Scotland, The Netherlands and Serbia-Montenegro. The conductors and teachers of music are Norwegian and from the participating countries. They are amongst the best available teachers for young people. They also work very well together and wish to come back, year after year.

Rainbow Strings
is the beautiful name of a festival, arisen from a close friendship between young people playing folk music and classic music in the Russian republic of Karelia, North Karelia in Finland, Västerbotten län (county) in Sweden and Nordland fylke (county) in Norway. They mainly play string instruments and traditional folk music instruments, and also sing and dance.

Photo: Stine Skipnes,
Helgeland Arbeiderblad

Small festivals have been arranged by turn by a network of voluntary working enthusiasts in the four countries: In Lycksele in 2002, in Mo i Rana and Petrozavodsk in 2003 on the occasion of the 300 year anniversary of Petrozavodsk, in Mosjøen in 2004 as a part of Toppen Summer School of Music, and in Joensuu/Rääkkylä in 2005 as a part of Kihaus, Finland’s second biggest folk music festival.

The aim of Rainbow Strings is primarily to gather in joint orchestras making as many performances as possible for people. For the Rainbow Strings “movement” music also is a gateway for better knowledge and appreciation of the compound culture within the four adjacent countries …quot; for the participants and their creative teachers. Rainbow Strings also represent a “school” of co-operation, respect and friendship amongst young people, forming the basis of public and voluntary efforts and a closer neighbourhood.

Nobody should be astonished by our good results so far …quot; culture bearers often lead the way in the direction of ordinary people’s contact internationally, and it’s a good idea and a rewarding task indeed to start with the coming generation!
 
2006
Toppen Summer School will be arranged 14th-20th August - 2006, with the Rainbow Strings festival as an integrated part of it. We expect participants from all the above-mentioned countries. The orchestras and ensembles for string and tangent instruments will be maintained, and of course folk music from the Nordic countries and Karelia will be paid particular attention to this year. Like 2005 we also expect a group from Fort William, West Highland in Scotland, playing classic music and Scottish folk music.

The foreign participants will bring with them their music and teachers, and make performances, but mostly they will rehearse and play each other’s music together. This year we for the first time also invite youth playing wind instruments, trying to put together a symphonic orchestra. There will be at least 12 concerts totally. The big final concert will be on 19th August. On 20th August everybody will be invited to attend a music cruise to the island of Vega, which is now on Unesco’s list of world inheritance.

Thanks to the Barents Secretariat.
The very most of the participants at the Toppen Music School of Music and the Rainbow Strings Festival belonging to this, live within the Barents region, or close to it. The most faithful contributor has been the Barents Secretariat. We are sincerely grateful for their decisive financial grants, making the participation from all the countries possible, regardless of individual financial ability.