Vocal Selections on YouTube
Var är den Vän
During our `1997 trip to Sweden, we visited the domkyrka (Cathedral) in Västerås. I picked up a cassette tape in the gift shop as a souviner from the place where both my 8th and 9th great grandfathers (Nichols Rudbeckius and Johannes Rudbeckius) had been the bishop. Back home, I listened to the music on the tape and although I did not understand much of the Swedish lyrics, there was something compelling about the selection Var är den Vän. I sent an email to my Swedish friend Rustan Gandvik and asked him if he knew the piece, and if he could find the sheet music for me. Rustan replied that he not only knew the song, but that one of the verses was inscribed on his grandfather's gravestone. Once I had the sheet music, I entered it note by note into my Sibelius computer program. I then used a Swedish-English dictionary and tried to translate the lyrics, and then enlisted Rustan to help me with the translation. The result can be found on this YouTube video.
The song is sung in Swedish (or in my poor American Swedish) with the English translation superimposed over the video./
Hälsa dem der hemma - English
Hälsa dem der hemma is probably the most popular song among Swedish-American immigrants.
I remember family gatherings when I was growing up in a Swedish-American family in north western Pennsylvania. My parents, aunts, and uncles always sang this song with great emotion. I created an English translation with some help from a Swedish friend. I used the Sibelius computer software to create the music for this version. The music was played through a Roland sound module, and recorded and edited using Sound Forge. Except for the starry sea scene and the goose images, the photos are by me, and image editing was done using Paint Shop Pro. Video editing was done using Vegas Pro version 15.
The English version includes Swedish subtitles.
Hälsa dem der hemma - Swedish
Hälsa dem der hemma is probably the most popular song among Swedish-American immigrants.
The Swedish version includes English subtitles.
How Great Thou Art
This has been number one on the favorite hymns hit parade for many years. This YouTube video was recorded during a Vesper's service at Bristol Village. I start by telling a brief history of how this hymn started in Sweden and moved across the world.
Come Back to Sorrento
For many years Bristol Village had an annual 'sing-a-ma-jig,' a program featuring the men's and women's choruses, some solo selections, and a good old fashioned sing-along. As MC, I reserved the right to embarass myself with one of the solos.
Panis Angelicus
The song "Panis Angelicus" was performed at a Bristol Village, Ohio Musicale. Musicales are Sunday afternoons of casual classical music performed by residents several times a year.
When You Come to the End of a Perfect Day
The song "When you come to the end of a perfect day" was one of my Mother's favorites. It was performed at a Bristol Village, Ohio Musicale. Musicals are Sunday afternoons of casual classical music performed by residents several times a year.
Where'er You Walk by George Frideric Handel.
Another Musicale performance.
Beautiful Dreamer by Stephen Foster.
Another Musicale performance.
The Green Eyed Dragon with Thirteen Tails
Another Musicale performance. The Green Eyed Dragon was made popular on a phonograph record by John Charles Thomas in the 1940's.
Finiculi-Finicula by Luigi Denza.
Len Nasman discusses Player Pianos and the song Finiculi-Finicula, at a Bristol Village, Ohio - Musicale.
Granada by Agustin Lara.
Len 'goes back to a place he's never been', while presenting a picture show and singing Granada at a Bristol Village, Ohio - Musicale.
Ghost Riders in the Sky
An earlier version listed here was audio only. Ghost Riders is now available as a YouTube video. Once again a Bristol Village Musicale performance
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
A Christmas Greeting from Bristol Village, 2017. Sung by request by a Bristol Village activity group.
