Rencontres Internationales des Luthiers et Maîtres Sonneurs: The Swedes

In the photos below you can see, what we called, 'The Swedish Music Maffia', consisting of (from left to right): Bruno Andersen, Olle Gällmo, Thor Ahlgren, Johannes Geworkian Hellman, Elias Frigård and Jordi Carrasco Hjelm.

In the two photos below you see Olle Gällmo,
one of the pioneers on bagpipe/cornemuse in Sweden,
having popularised this, since long, almost forgotten instrument in the North.
Parenthetically one can mention that he combines his musical life with a post as fellow-adviser to post graduate students, studying Artificial Intelligence, at Uppsala University in Sweden.
He held two concerts, very well-attended both of them.
In the first concert he played with Rachel Averly and it was actually the first time
they played together and they had very little time to rehearse before the concert.
The second concert was a solo concert (below).

In the photo below you see Bruno Andersen.

He is also playing the hurdy-gurdy
and according to Johannes Geworkian Hellman
(who won the soloist competition at Château d'Ars)
Bruno is the best hurdy-gurdy musician in Sweden.
He is not at all as serious or severe as he the photo suggests.
When he came here, he had lost his tent during his travels.
We therefore checked the internet and found a man
who sold his three-men-tent with a mattress
for only 14 €! We took the car, went there
and Bruno bought his tent.
Below you see Thor Ahlgren.
He is a bagpipe-/cornemuse-musician.
He is from the southern parts of Sweden called Skåne.
He came here with a tent,
the first night sharing it with Bruno 'lost a tent' Andersen.I don't remember if this was the first time
Thor visited the festival but he enjoyed it,
as did all the other Vikings!

During the festival they all ate different specialities being served and not least 'escargot'.
Bruno Andersen had earlier eaten escargot's and he displayed himself being a real gourmet and not least gorumand, buying three dozens of snails during his visit!!
The others had not earlier eaten this French delicacy but they all enjoyed it.
If you click on the names you will find more information concerning their musical lives and their upcoming events or concerts.
Shortly we can conclude that these new acquaintances - the Swedes - where all very nice, being a very pleasant encounter. We'll hope to see them next year too.