October 16, 2015

Hareid, Norway

Being in the KS often provides opportunities to travel to places that you'd never normally visit, and this is one such destination - the west coast of Norway. Full of fjords, breathtaking scenery and stunning art nouveau architecture, it's immediately clear why so many people love life here. A strong musical tradition means that we have been warmly welcomed in this, our first visit to the area.Communities that lie in far-flung reaches have to stick together in life, and I find similarities between this area and the various other maritime communities we have visited over the years - from Okinawa in Japan to Frutillar in Chile, from the German island of Bergen to Hilton Head island in the USA. Tight-knit, supportive and good at teamwork, they epitomise the spirit of simply getting on with life whatever it throws into your path. And, at the end of the day, they enjoy a good party and some musical entertainment.Rather than a large organisation or festival, we are often promoted by what seems to be a group of ordinary people who have simply got together to put on a concert, and there's something wonderfully human about that. Last night was no exception - our hosts were anxious to look after us well, and so teams of people provided transport, food, drink and hospitality. The concert felt very easy and natural, and the audience was drawn from all ages and walks of life.Today we fly across Noway to Denmark, before driving into Sweden for tomorrow's concert. It's a real treat to be spending four days in Scandinavia - a region I've always enjoyed visiting. As we build an audience this week, there's real hope that we can spend more time here in the future.