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Sweden’s endangered navy band has been saved from being cut out of the budget after an international petition. I just received a mail from which I quote the English text:

Last Tuesday the 9th December 2008 we have recieved the decision that we (The Royal Swedish Navy Band) WILL stay here in Karlskrona. Unbelievably wonderful to get this positive decision.

With that result we would like to extend our biggest thanks to all who have supported us through the protest list and any other support we have recieved. Because of this wonderful support the Royal Swedish Navy Band, Swedens second oldest culture institute, shall remain here in Karlskrona. Hopefully for 300 years more.

Unfortunately our colleagues in Gothenburg have not had a decision so please continue to support them. Enrol on their protest list here. http://www.bevara.gwo.se

Once again, huge thanks for all your continued support.

Because of this we will meet you all again soon at our concerts and appearances.

Best Wishes from All the Staff at The Royal Swedish Navy Band in Karlskrona

(Klaus)

Cheers!

Just from knowing the personal stories of Charles Ives and Gustav Mahler one will have learned about the cultural effects of bands in the parks on Sunday afternoons. Today the military and some larger amusement parks are the most common upholders of that tradition.

Gothenburg in Sweden until the end of this year has a very special professional wind symphony with its own concert hall. Part of its budget was/is to December 31st secured by that private/municipal/regional band serving as the Swedish Air Force band for ceremonial and representative work for the equivalent of 3 months a year. The military will not contribute to the band’s budget from 2009 and on. Whether you will help protest this situation, I will leave to you, but for those willing to do so, I see no wrongdoing in providing a translation of the header for each box of the petition for the rescue of that band:

http://www.bevara.gwo.se/

Namn = Name
Yrke = Occupation
Hemkommun = Hometown (as a foreigner I added my county to the name of my town)
Epost = eMail address (this box is optional)

The Skicka button is the Send button.

The Scandinavian countries have a shared labour market. One well known tuba sample is Michael Lind, who is a Dane. Before his tenure in Stockholm he was in a Danish military band and in one of our symphonies, where his successor was my former sidekick in a brass band. We have Swedes and Norwegians in our orchestras and military bands.

That shared labour market brings oddities with it. Norwegian and Swedish teachers can be employed in Danish schools, also as teachers in Danish even if they don’t speak a proper Danish. I could have been employed in Sweden teaching Swedish, but I never attempted that stretch of the joke. I can read Swedish easily, but I best understand Swedish as spoken by the Swedish minority in Finland. Point is that we take quite a bit interest in each others cultures.

Klaus