Lars Erstrand

1936-2009.

Jazz musician, vibraphonist.

Lars Erstrand was one of the great names in Swedish jazz in the 20th century. He became "Mister Swing" with the jazz public and was a big name in both Swedish and international jazz.

He started playing piano but switched to vibraphone after being influenced by vibraphonist Lionel Hampton's playing in Benny Goodman's orchestra.

From the 1960s onwards, Erstrand worked with clarinettist Ove Lind.

His international breakthrough came in the 1970s when he played with Benny Goodman and later with clarinetists Bob Wilber and 'Peanuts' Hucko.

Lars Erstrand also performed with Sven Asmussen and Alice Babs, and from the 1990s played with Arne Domnerus and in the quartet Swedish Swing Society.

 

Burial site: 0305-0512

Image description: Lars Erstrand, 1983. Photo: Roger Tillberg / Sjöberg bildbyrå. [The image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image

 

 

Oscar Arpi

1824-1890.

Conductor, music teacher.

Oscar Arpi was born in Börstil in north-eastern Uppland in 1824.

Arpi was conductor of the Allmänna sången 1852-1871 and of the OD 1853-1854, and also a music teacher at the Cathedral School in Uppsala 1855-1876.

He was the leader of the Uppsala Student Union from 1852 to 1871 and led the Allmänna sången when the choir won first prize at the international singing competition for male choirs in Paris in 1867.

Oscar Arpi with baton and tuning fork, ca 1870. Photo: Heinrich Osti / UUB.

Concert poster with the General Song from 1853. Photo: UUB.

Arpi was temperamental, had a technical gift for music and a magnetic and personal conducting talent.

 

Burial site: 0102-0131

Image description: Oscar Arpi, Uppsala ca 1865- ca 1880. Photo: Heinrich Osti / UUBThe image is cropped]
Click here for an uncropped image

 

 

Sven Lilja

1887-1951.

Music teacher, conductor, singing leader.

Through Hugo Alfvén's mediation, Sven Lilja was accepted at the Stockholm Conservatory of Music and studied there from 1912-1917.

After a few years as an actor, he worked as a singing and music teacher in Sundsvall, music teacher at Stockholm folk high schools, cantor in Sofia parish and conductor for the Stockholm Workers' Singing Association and the Stockholm Singers' Association. Sven Lilja introduced modern singing and turned it into a popular movement.

He led a sing-along movement in the countryside and on the radio, but above all at Skansen, where he led the movement for the first time in 1935. In the following years, the sing-along evenings at Skansen became a permanent institution.

Sven Lilja also plays himself in the movie 'Love and Singing' from 1944.

 

Burial site: 0132-1384

Image description: Sven Lilja wearing the classic singing costume, year unknown. Photo: From private collectionThe image is cropped].
Click here for an uncropped image