Hjemkomst Center Hosts Hardanger Fiddle Concert

This specific kind of fiddle is always hand-made, and hails from Norway.

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) – The sounds of fiddles filled the Hjemkomst Center on Saturday, as the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County hosted a Hardanger Fiddle concert.

Hardanger fiddles are a special kind of instrument – each is handcrafted in traditional Norweigan fashion.

In the Fargo-Moorhead area, there’s about 20 Hardanger fiddle enthusiasts, which is a fairly sizeable chunk.

They were joined in performance by guest performers from Brainerd and Milwaukee who are legends in the field.

Event organizers said the massive attendance numbers for the concert show that people really want to get in touch with their Scandinavian heritage.

“Today, about 50 percent of the Red River Valley boasts some Scandinavian heritage, which means that 100 years ago it was well over 70 percent,” said Maureen Kelly Jonason, executive director of the historical society. “Most of them were Norweigans who came and settled, especially in Clay County. So there is still a great passion for preserving and passing on the cultural traditions from old Norway.”

The auditorium at the Hjemkomst Center is only supposed to hold about 200 people but it’s estimated that the concert drew closer to 350 folk music lovers.