In the summer of 2004 Smålands Musik och Teater presented a grand piece of music theatre in Eksjö with an ensemble of 90 women, 30 men, two horses and a sinfonietta led by Hans Ek.Blendas wedding was a new play by Ingegerd Monthán directed by Leif Sundberg with music by Bengt Berger.
Blendas Bröllop is an old story about women in a viking village when all the men have gone out in war and the village is invaded by the Danes. Led by Blenda the women welcomes the intruders and celebrates with them filling them with food and drink only to kill them when they have passed out. As thanks for this the women gained the right to heritage. It is also about the war between the Christians and those with the ancient viking beliefs and how the women unite across their creeds to fight the common enemy.
Some lousy photos:
As you can see from the photos the ensemble was trained in drumming, we ordered their instruments from Istanbul and practised the whole winter. This was the first, and so far the only time I’ve written for a large classical ensemble, (and I’m not quite satisfied with my own work here). Some photos from the work:
