Festival staff's highlights - today: event manager Sølvi Lien
Sølvi Lien (right) plans the 2017 gala concert together with presenter Camilla Granlien (left). Photo: Førdefestivalen
She got her dream job on the first try, and after getting the program and all the technical stuff in place for all the events at the festival, her job is to get as many concerts in as possible! Here are four of the highlights of events manager Sølvi Lien's festival career so far:
Color game in 2008
The first experience I would like to highlight goes back to 2008, and the show Fargespel. The Fargespel concept in Bergen had already existed for a few years, and in collaboration with Førdefestivalen the concept was now exported to the local community in Førde I was involved in the entire process, from finding the participants to Førde , through the ups and downs of rehearsals during the spring and winter, and until the final performance in the Great Hall during the festival. I thought I knew what I was getting into when I sat down in the hall, but I was completely captivated nonetheless. There stood these beautiful children and young people who barely dared to sing a note at the first rehearsal, straight-backed and confident, and with professional surroundings around them, and sang and danced like they should never have done anything else. I cried and cried, I think I sobbed at times, and couldn't stop until long after the performance. It was the strongest experience I've had at the festival!
Photo: Knut Utler
Polish-Norwegian cooperation
The next one is from 2010, and is in a way one of the best and one of the worst memories at the same time. We in Førdefestivalen took the initiative for a collaboration project between the Norwegian trio Tindra and the Polish klezmer trio Kroke. Of course, we had faith in the project when we started it, but the musicians found the tone in a way we could never have dreamed of. It was simply a dream project. I had stopped by a little while when they were rehearsing and at soundchecks, and I was really looking forward to the concert. Apparently many others were too, because the Festival Hall was too small for everyone who wanted to bring this with them. I am usually busy during the festival, and arrived just before the concert was supposed to start. Then it was so full that they (we) couldn't let any more people in. What a disappointment! I was heavily pregnant and emotional, and I tramped around in the park, while I cursed myself that I would see them at the next opportunity, no matter where it was. Back to Førdehuset I heard the applause from inside the hall, and gradually saw everyone coming out, excited by an absolutely fantastic concert. I had to wait until next year, but then I finally got to hear them, at Vossajazz.
Accordion playing with Linda
Then I have to highlight the concert with Linda Gytri Trio in 2015. For me, this was accordion playing in a completely new way. So incredibly beautiful, so virtuosic. And what an interplay in the trio. I just wanted to hear more and more. At the concert at the festival, my 5-year-old son was there, and got to sit in the front row. He sat like a candle the whole concert, and devoured it raw. Afterwards, he was determined that he would also play accordion, and Linda Gytri's CD was on repeat in his room for a long time afterwards. He plays accordion now 😊
Førdefestivalen his giant project
Finally, I must highlight the biggest project we have ever done at the festival, namely Nordic Sound Folk Orchestra in 2017.
Imagine being able to create an entire orchestra of the best Nordic folk musicians, with newly composed music, and on the premises of folk music. 40 musicians, 4 composers and 9 soloists. A wet dream for an amateur fiddle player and festival organizer! It was a bit of a job to make it happen, both getting the financing in place, and not least administering the whole thing. But the result was outstanding! The concert was also filmed, and shown on the Main Stage at NRK. It is still available there. Just a tip if anyone needs a folk music orchestra one evening.