Sandvikens Ungdomskorps
Sandvikens Ungdomskorps no:Sandvikens Ungdomskorps is an elite division amateur wind band in Bergen, Norway. The band was constituted July 1, 1923 by a group of boys too old to play in the school band in Sandviken, Bergen. The school band is now gone, but Sandvikens Ungdomskorps has grown to be one of the leading wind bands in Norway.
The band is a member of Norges Musikkorps Forbund (the Norwegian band association, NMF), and participates each year in the Norwegian championships for wind bands in Trondheim. In 2011 the band won gold in the Norwegian championships for the first time, conducted by no:Tormod Flaten, marginally better than Dragefjellets Musikkorps. Read NRK's winner article here,[1] NMF's winner article here,[2] and BT's winner article here.[3] The band also won 1st place in Jan-Am 2011 in Stavanger, in addition to the price for best soloist to Asbjørn Haukeland on marimba, and the audience reward the same year.[4]
Sandvikens Ungdomskorps has a wide profile, is an active member of the community in Sandviken, marching the streets on May 17[5] (Norway's constitution day), participates each year in the national championship, holds a flea market[6][7] each year, and holds social activities with its members.
The members come from all of Bergen, and ages range from youth's in school to ripe adults. The band usually show off their own soloists on concerts, but also have a history of playing with different musical legends in Norway.
Sandvikens Ungdomskorps has close ties to the Bow Corps in Bergen, especially to no:Dræggens Buekorps, and participates on celebrations of their foundation day and other events held by the Bow Corps. Sandvikens Ungdomskorps has also published a cd with the only complete collection of Bow Corps marches from Bergen, named Buekorpsmarsjene. In many years the band has held concerts in Grieghallen in the autumn, and is active in the cultural life in Bergen playing music and marching the streets. The Grieghallen concert in 2009 was about the best Bergen song,[8] the winner was Utsikt fra Fløyen.[9]
Two very popular groups in the band is Nikkersgjengen (Knickerbockersgang) and the bottle orchestra Bunnen er nådd (We've reached the bottom). Nikkersgjengen received in 1998 the prestigious "Jonnemannprisen" award. Nikkersgjengen still exists, and the bottle orchestra comes together when needed.
The band is always recruiting new players, and weighs the professionalism and commitment of their players before admission.
Conductors
Most recently Thorgeir Thunestvedt has been conducting Sandvikens Ungdomskorps, with Ray Farr stepping in during the Norwegian Championships. The band uses various conductors during different projects, and the list of conductors is getting extensive: no:Tormod Flaten, no:Bjørn Breistein, Helge Haukås, Bengt Florvåg, Ray Farr, Karl Ole Midtbø and Reid Gilje. The last years, the band has cooperated with the Grieg Academy, letting the conductor students conduct Sandvikens Ungdomskorps as part of their final exams.
Repertoire
Sandvikens ungdomskorps varies the repertoire from year to year. Lately new music has been in focus but also the traditional and march pieces is played. On the national day and special occasions, the band always plays their own march piece Sandviksgutten where the band on occasions sing a verse:
Hør trompetsignaler klinge, Sandviksgutter i Giv Akt!
Vi musikken frem vil bringe og om korpset vårt stå vakt!
Stadig fremad vil vi vinne for de nye mål og nå, og i glans vår sak skal skinne.
Frem for S.U.K!
Translation
Hear the trumpet signals sound, Sandviken Boys at attention!
We will bring the music forward and stand guard over the band!
Ever forward, we will win and reach new goals, and proudly our cause will shine.
Forwards S.U.K!
Merits
- March 12. 2016 - 6th place in the Norwegian championships for wind bands [10]
- November 21. 2015 - 2nd place in Jan-Am [11]
- March 21. 2015 - 3rd place in the Norwegian championships for wind bands [12]
- November 22. 2014 - 1st place in Jan-Am [13]
- April 5. 2014 - 3rd place in the Norwegian championships for wind bands [14]
- March 16. 2013 - 4th place in the Norwegian championships for wind bands
- November 10. 2012 - 1st place in Jan-Am [15]
- March 23. 2012 - 3rd place in the Norwegian championships for wind bands [16]
- November 12. 2011 - 1st place in Jan-Am
- April 9. 2011 - 1st place in the Norwegian championships for wind bands
- March 20. 2010 - 8th place in the Norwegian championships for wind bands
- March 28. 2009 - 8th place in the Norwegian championships for wind bands
- March 8. 2008 - 7th place in the Norwegian championships for wind bands
- March 24. 2007 - 5th place in the Norwegian championships for wind bands
- April 1. 2006 - 9th place in the Norwegian championships for wind bands
- March 12. 2005 - 7th place in the Norwegian championships for wind bands
- March 27. 2004 - 8th place in the Norwegian championships for wind bands
Publishings
- CD - Ka e’ det mot Bergen
- CD - Buekorpsmarsjene, 1988[17]
- CD - Hilsen fra Bergen, 1991[18]
- Paper - Sandvikens skolekorps 25-årsberetning : <1908-1933> og Sandvikens ungdomskorps 10-årsberetning <1923-1933> / Sandvikens skolekorps - Handelstrykkeriet, 1933
- Article - Litt om Sandvikens ungdomskorps (In: Sandvikens dag Sunday May 23. 1948, page. 9-10)
- Book - Gjerstad, J.: Hør trompetsignaler klinge : Sandvikens ungdomskorps 1923-1998. - Sandvikens ungdomskorps, 2001[19] ISBN 82-7128-315-4
- Performance - Norwegian championships 2008[20]
- Performance - Norwegian championships 2009[21]
References
- Roy Hilmar Svendsen, "Storeslem til Bergen", NRK, 2011-04-09
- Olga Wergeland, "Sandvikens Ungdomskorps til topps", NMF, 2011-04-09
- Jan L. Jacobsen, "Sandviken er Norges beste", BT, 2011-04-09
- NMF Rogaland, "Sandvikens Ungdomskorps vant JAN-AM.", NMF, 2011-11-12
- Ken Rossland and Alice Bratshaug, "Festen er i gang", BT, 2011-05-17
- Øivind Ask, "Den store loppejakten", BT, 2006-10-09
- Øivind Ask, "Sønnen til marinemaleren", BT, 2006-10-09
- Erlend Langeland Haugen, "Er dette den beste bergensangen?", BT, 2009-11-02
- Arild Berg Karlsen, "Her synger hun tidenes bergenslåt", BT, 2009-11-15
- NMF, "Resultatliste 2016", NMF, 2016-03-13
- NMF, "Resultater Jan-Am 2015", NMF, 2015-11-22
- NMF, "Resultatliste 2015", NMF, 2015-03-22
- NMF, "Sandviken og Janitsjaren til topps!", NMF, 2014-11-14
- NMF, "Lillestrøm Musikkorps er norgesmeister I Janitsjar 2014!", NMF, 2014-04-05
- NMF, "Sandvikens vant igjen", NMF, 2012-11-10
- NMF, "Lillestrøm er norgesmeistrar", NMF, 2012-03-24
- cdrrrtracks, "Buekorpsmarsjene"
- cdtrrracks, "Hilsen fra bergen"
- Google Books, "Hør trompetsignaler klinge: Sandvikens ungdomskorps 1923-1998"
- NRK Nett-TV, "Sandvikens Ungdomskorps", NRK, 2008-06-05
- NRK Nett-TV, "Sandvikens Ungdomskorps", NRK, 2009-06-25