Birch trumpet
Thebirch trumpet(Norwegian:neverlur,Swedish:näverlur,Latvian:tās̆u taure,Lithuanian:ragas, daudytė,Finnish:tuohitorvi,Estonian:karjapasun[1][2][3]) is a type ofnatural trumpetmade ofsprucecovered withbirch bark,known inNorway,Sweden,Finland,England,Denmark,Latvia,Lithuania,BelarusandEstonia.Even cruder and less durable versions were made of plain birch bark. They are associated with the early EuropeanChalet culture,where it was presumably used to intimidate predators, frighten supernatural enemies, and convene council meetings.
Usually, the neverlur is a natural horn, having no fingerholes or valves. Normally, a player can play 10 tones from thenatural scaleon the instrument. In the modern era, the neverlur is primarily a cultural curiosity, used for the occasional fanfare.
In Finland, the birch trumpet, locally known as thetuohitorvi,comes in different varieties. Some instruments are built as natural horns and used for signalling, usually by shepherds, whereas others are built in the style of themute cornettand have fingerholes for melody playing.
Tolgakulturskole(culture school) in Norway regularly teaches playing the neverlur to all interested people living in themunicipality.[4]
The oldest recovered näverlur in Sweden dates back to the 10th century, and resembles earlier bronze trumpets.
Contemporary manufacturers
[edit]Norway
[edit]Sweden
[edit]
- Rune Selén was Sweden's best known näverlur manufacturer. He manufactured more than 11000 näverlurar between 1959 and 2005 when he retired because of dust allergy. He died 28 October 2011.[6][7]
- Lisa Byers Runberg inAlunda.She was taught by Rune Selén.[8][9]Her husband Per Runberg is a folk musician andriksspelman.[10][circular reference]
- Jan Nordkvist at the company Lurmakaren inTällberg[11]
Similar and related instruments
[edit]- With length up to 4–5 meters are known from theAlps(alphorn),Carpathian Mountains,andPyrenees.[12]
- Midwinter hornmainly known from the border area betweenGermanyandNetherlandsinBentheimandTwente.It is only played in the period betweenAdvent SundayandEpiphany
- Büchel(Switzerland)
- Ligawka(Poland)
- Karjapasun(Estonia)
- Trembita
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Pučiamieji instrumenatai".www.folkinstruments.lt.Retrieved23 April2018.
- ^"Musikk i Latvia".Store norske leksikon(in Norwegian). Store norske leksikon AS.Retrieved30 July2013.
- ^"The Music of the Baltic States".Guide to World Music.World Music Network. 16 May 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 19 December 2013.Retrieved30 July2013.
- ^Ellen Vibeke Nygjelten (28 February 2013)."Neverlur".The web pages of theMunicipality of Tolga(in Norwegian). TheMunicipality of Tolga.Archived fromthe originalon 5 March 2016.Retrieved30 July2013.
- ^Magnar Storbækken (1 September 2010)."Naturinstrumenter".Company web pages(in Norwegian and English). Naturinstrumenter AS. p.Neverlur / Birch bark lure.Retrieved30 July2013.
- ^"Rune Seléns Kulturfond och Västgöta Horn & Lurblåsare!"(in Swedish). Arbetsgruppen för Rune Seléns Kulturfond.Retrieved30 July2013.
- ^"Svensk sommarmusik, hyllningskonsert"(in Swedish). Stockholms Symfoniorkester. 2005.Retrieved30 July2013.
- ^Anna Ehn (25 April 2006)."Näverlurar från Alunda till Shakespearepjäs i London".Uppsala Nya Tidning(in Swedish).Retrieved30 July2013.
- ^Anna Ehn (25 April 2006)."Näverlurar på export till Shakespearteater"(PDF).Uppsala Nya Tidning(in Swedish).Retrieved30 July2013.
- ^sv:Per Runberg
- ^Jan Nordkvist."Lurmakaren"(in Swedish and English). Lurmakaren.Retrieved30 July2013.
- ^"lur – blåseinstrument".Store norske leksikon(in Norwegian). Store norske leksikon AS.Retrieved30 July2013.
External links
[edit]- Professional musicianSissel Morken Gullordhas specialized in playing the natural hornworking with the leading Baroque orchestras in Scandinavia andplaying the (never)lur and the billy goat's horn(bukkehorn).
- Sissel Morken Gullord plays the cattle call "Koma guta liggje"on a neverlur on a Norwegianseter(shieling) (YouTube video)
- The Wooden Lurspart ofThe Nordic Lurspart ofO.J.'s Trumpet Page
