Buxtehude in Elsinore

The St. Mary´s church in Elsinore (Helsingør) is a beautiful former monastery church, built in 1430-1500. During the reformation in Denmark the monastery was closed, and the king then gave the church to the German and Dutch community in Elsinore, which converted it to a German church in 1576-77.

The St. Mary´s in Elsinore is probably internationally best known for its most famous organist, Diderich (also spelled Diderik, Dieterich or Dietrich) Buxtehude (1637?-1707) and his organ, which still is in use in the church.

It is believed that Buxtehude was born in the neighbouring city (on the other side of the Øresund) of Helsingborg (then Danish, but after 1658 Swedish), where his father was an organist.

At the age of 20, Buxtehude became the organist of the St. Mary´s church in Helsingborg, from where he moved to Elsinore in 1660 to become the organist of the German church, which also carries the name St. Mary´s. The German community in Elsinore had good connections to Northern Germany, and soon the word spread that there was an outstanding organist in Elsinore. In 1667 Buxtehude was invited to become the organist at the famous St. Mary´s church in Lübeck, where he stayed until his death.

The Buxthude organ in Elsinore was built in 1662-1663. The alterations, made in 1854 and 1959-60, have recently been reversed, and today the organ again presents itself as in the time of Buxtehude.

Thanks to the organ and excellent accoustics, the St. Mary´s is a popular concert church. Recently the British baroque music specialist Paul Hillier and his Grammy-winning Theater of Voices ensemble together with organist Bine Bryndorf recorded a selection of Buxehudes vocal music in the church.

Here is the promotional video for the Scandinavian Cantatas CD, which has received a lot of critical praise:

Sunseeker on the rocks in Øresund

Right now this Sunseeker yacht is lying solidly on the rocks at the Hittarp reef about 5 km north of Helsginborg. It does not look damaged, but something unexpected must have happened, since this is not a place where yachts of this size usually lay anchor. The native reef cormorants and gulls seemed not to be bothered by the intruder.

Tycho Brahe´s map of the island Hven



Tycho Brahe built two observatories - Uraniborg and Stjerneborg - on Hven

 This map of the Swedish island Ven (or Hven in Danish) is the only map that the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546 - 1601) personally drew. It is also the first map in Scandinavia which is based on systematic measurements. The map was included in Brahe´s Epistolanum astronomicum libri from 1596.

Tycho Brahe working in Uraniborg

At the the time Brahe produced his map, he was living and working on the then Danish island Hven, which had been given to him by king Frederik II. The island is situated in the Øresund strait between Scania (Sweden) and Zealand (Denmark).

Four cargo ships

Yesterday afternoon these four cargo ships passed Kronborg castle in Helsingør:

The Alva (68 m x 10 m). Flag: St Vincent Grenadines

The Frisian Lady (105 m X 14 m). Dutch flag

The Kapitan Lus (98 m x 18 m). Flag: Malta

The Falkland Cement (99 m x 17 m). Flag: Bahamas

A beautiful autumn day for boating in Øresund

Today, 25.9.2011, was a glorious autumn day in the Øresund region. The Sound was full of pleasure boats of different size and colour. Here are a few them:

Russian research/survey vessel Heather Sea in Øresund

The Russian research/survey vessel Heather Sea (88x16m) passed Helsingør/Helsingborg this afternoon on its way to Murmansk, where it is estimated to arrive on October 2. The Heather Sea was built in Tacoma by the Todd Pacific shipyard in 1975. Previously it has had two names, Scotoil 6 and Theriot Offshore VI

Homage to the Delta Rhytm Boys

I have many fond memories of the American vocal group the Delta Rhytm Boys, first formed in 1934 in Langston, Oklahoma, and active for over 50 years. They had many fans in Europe - particularly in Scandinavia - since the 50´s. My favourite singer in the group, the wonderful bass Lee Gaines, died of cancer in Helsinki, Finland in 1987. Hugh Bryant, another fine member, collapsed while performing at Gaines´s funeral and died, probably from a heart failure. 

The Delta Rhythm Boys were later inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Here the Delta Rhytm Boys perform the spiritual "Joshua Fit De Battle Of Jericho" in a Finnish film: 

The Delta Rhytm Boys´ 1951 version of the popular Swedish tune "flickorna i Småland" (the girls in Småland) became a great hit in Scandinavia:

Here you can find out  more about the Delta Rhytm Boys story.