Zorn Badge
Encyclopedia
Spelman (music)
In Swedish, the word spelman is most often used to describe a player of Swedish folk music. It may also be applied to folk musicians from other Nordic countries, from other European countries, from non-European countries, and even musicians in other genres...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The prize is awarded by Svenska Folkdansringen
Svenska Folkdansringen
Svenska Folkdansringen , usually just called "Folkdansringen," is Sweden's largest amateur folk culture organization...
, the Swedish national organization for traditional music, dance and handicraft.
History
In 1910, the first national gathering of spelmänSpelman (music)
In Swedish, the word spelman is most often used to describe a player of Swedish folk music. It may also be applied to folk musicians from other Nordic countries, from other European countries, from non-European countries, and even musicians in other genres...
(performers of traditional folk music) took place at Skansen
Skansen
Skansen is the first open air museum and zoo in Sweden and is located on the island Djurgården in Stockholm, Sweden. It was founded in 1891 by Artur Hazelius to show the way of life in the different parts of Sweden before the industrial era....
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. For this occasion, the artist Anders Zorn
Anders Zorn
Anders Leonard Zorn was one of Sweden’s foremost artists who obtained international success as a painter, sculptor and printmaker in etching.-Biography:...
, who was interested in the revival of traditional folk culture, designed and financed a silver badge for distribution to all the participating spelmän. In the early 1930s, Svenska Folkdansringen
Svenska Folkdansringen
Svenska Folkdansringen , usually just called "Folkdansringen," is Sweden's largest amateur folk culture organization...
received the rights to the badge from Zorn's widow Emma. They put together a jury for a new National Folk Musician
Riksspelman
The title of riksspelman , or "National Folk Musician" of Sweden, is a generally recognized badge of mastery for Swedish folk musicians. It is an honor bestowed upon bearers of the silver or gold Zorn Badge, awarded annually by the Zorn Jury, a panel of experts under the auspices of Svenska...
s' Gathering in Västerås
Västerås
Västerås is a city in central Sweden, located on the shore of Lake Mälaren in the province Västmanland, some 100 km west of Stockholm...
in 1933, before whom spelmän could test their mettle. The Jury would grant a number of different awards to those spelmän, the highest of which would be Anders Zorn's silver badge.
The award
The Zorn Badge has three levels: bronze, silver and gold. The bronze and silver badges are awarded after trials, which take place at regional folk musicians' gatherings where a jury from Svenska Folkdansringen is present. A musician who wishes to try for the Zorn Badge must be 16 years of age, and must perform three to five different pieces of folk music.The gold badge is awarded to one or two master musicians each year. There are no trials for this level, which is awarded to extremely prominent musicians and tradition bearers.
A musician who receives the silver or gold badge is entitled to call himself or herself Riksspelman
Riksspelman
The title of riksspelman , or "National Folk Musician" of Sweden, is a generally recognized badge of mastery for Swedish folk musicians. It is an honor bestowed upon bearers of the silver or gold Zorn Badge, awarded annually by the Zorn Jury, a panel of experts under the auspices of Svenska...
(often translated as Musician of the Realm or National Folk Musician). Sweden today has approximately 300 living Riksspelmän
Riksspelman
The title of riksspelman , or "National Folk Musician" of Sweden, is a generally recognized badge of mastery for Swedish folk musicians. It is an honor bestowed upon bearers of the silver or gold Zorn Badge, awarded annually by the Zorn Jury, a panel of experts under the auspices of Svenska...
.http://www.svd.se/kulturnoje/nyheter/artikel_230723.svd
External links
- Zornmärkesnämnden (the Zorn Badge committee in Svenska Folkdansringen)
- List of recipients of the Zorn Badge in silver, 1997-2006
- List of recipients of the Zorn Badge in gold, 1997-2006