Thyra Karlsson - Portrait of a Singer

• portrait
• Karlsson
• Von

With the third release in Svenskt visarkivs Sngarportrtt (Singers Portrait) series, it is now folk singer, Thyra Karlssons turn. Mrta Ramsten, who made most of the circa three hundred recordings of Thyra, describes the process of creating this compilation: Painting a singers portrait of Thyra Karlsson is not hard with the help of her songs except for the fact, that it is always difficult to have to select a only few. The mix of songs, which the listener meets here, hopefully reveals her joy of singing. Her beloved zither is heard on the recordings, often as a very discrete accompaniment. Thyra Karlsson was born in 1912 and grew up in Alans, in the region of northeastern Jmtland. At home, she came into contact with music at an early age, singing together with her sisters for celebrations at the end of the year school and various other events. Over the years, she learned hundreds of songs and her broad repertoire can be seen as fairly typical of the popular songs sung In Swedish homes during the first decades of the twentieth century. It includes childrens songs, rhymes, school songs, and songs from chap books, as well as love songs and songs from the religious revival but also popular schlager, hit songs that she heard on the radio and gramophone. Musicologist, and previous director of Svenskt visarkiv (Centre for Swedish Folk Music and Jazz Research), Mrta Ramsten, who, together with Ville Roempke, made recordings of Thyra, has written insightful liner notes about the recordings and the songs which were eventually chosen for inclusion on this CD from the Caprice label. It was one of Thyras dreams to make a record, which unfortunately was not fulfilled until after her death in 2001. But this year, Thyra becomes properly acknowledged with the CD release by folk music trio, Triakel, which includes a part of Thyras repertoire