Lars Erstrand

1936–2009.

Jazz musicians, vibraphoneist.

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

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

From the 1960s and many years to come, Erstrand collaborated with clarinetist Ove Lind.

The 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 played from the 1990s together 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 ]
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Oscar Arpi

1824–1890.

Conductor, music teacher.

Oscar Arpi was born in Börstil in northeastern Uppland in 1824.

Arpi was the conductor of Allmänna sången 1852–1871 and for Orphei Drängar 1853–1854, as well as music teacher at Katedralskolan in Uppsala 1855–1876.

He was uppsala student union leader 1852–1871 and led the Allmänna sången when the choir won the first prize at the international singing competition for male choirs in paris in 1867.

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

Concert poster with Allmänna Sången from 1853. Photo: UUB.

Arpi was temperamental, had a technical musical talent and a magnetic and personal conductor talent.

 

Burial site: 0102-0131

Image description: Oscar Arpi, Uppsala ca 1865- ca 1880. Photo: Heinrich Osti / UUB. [The image is cropped]
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Sven Lilja

1887–1951.

Music teacher, conductor, sing-along leader.

Through Hugo Alfvén's agency, Sven Lilja was granted a spot 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 the Stockholm Folk high schools, cantor in Sofia Parish and conductor for Stockholms Arbetarsångförening and the Stockholm Song Association. Sven Lilja introduced the modern sing-along and made it a popular movement.

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

Sven Lilja also plays himself in the film "Love and Sing" from 1944.

 

Burial site: 0132-1384

Image description: Sven Lilja dressed in the classic sing along suit, unknown year. Photo: From private collection. [The image is cropped]
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