THE NEWS FROM BRUNER'S BROOD MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2026 NORDHORDLAND MUSIC THEATRE CONCERT WEEK - ON THE ROAD AGAIN...LOCALLY

Hi everyone!

I hope you are doing well where you are and that music continues to be part of your daily activities. As I post this article on my Facebook pages and at www.trentbruner.com, this is the second performance tour I have had with the Nordhordland Music Theatre group. My first was in 2023 when this group honoured and presented the music of local songwriter and performer Arne Høyland over five concerts. This 2026 performance is a collection of music and local traditions with a collection of earlier written songs and stories from other parts of this region that take a deeper look at life where I now reside with my wife and family. Our first concert in Knarvik on February 8^th saw almost 300 people in attendance for the premiere performance with a standing ovation at the end of the evening.

This is the English translation of a local newspaper article for a series of three concerts I will be performing between February 8^th and 15^th, 2026. It will be with local and regional musicians that describes music and life for residents of Nordhordland, an area located north of Bergen, Norway’s second largest city. Enjoy the translation of the following article and the photos attached. You’ll find me somewhere in one or two of them. I’ll have postings from the upcoming performances with relevant translations into English for our international readers. All photos and the article are care of Hege Alberta Wilhelmsen, Strilen Newspaper, Knarvik, Norway.

Check the event links on my performance calendar on this website or go directly to easyticket.no if you are in the area and follow the links. Until next time, see you somewhere down the musical trail!

Musically Yours, Trent Updated Web Posting:  February 8, 2026 – Strilen.no and Bygdanytt.no, with additional translations and edits by Trent Bruner, February 9, 2026

What (really) Characterizes a Real Nordhordlander?

In short, you might get the answer if you come to Nordhordland Music Theatre's latest performance, “Dar gjekk dampen, men kjem vi” (The steam has gone, but here we come). On February 15th, the show will be in Hosanger Lutheran Church.This gang is ready to present music about the people of Nordhordland. Photo one: From left to right, back: Trent Bruner, Jon Martin Skauge, Tore Vabø, Espen Vågstøl. From left to right, front: Håvard Giezendanner, Rune Garmann, Kjersti Møllerup Wiik, Anveig Solberg, Bjørn Tore Henriksen. Summary:

Nordhordland Music Theatre explores the identity of the Nordhordlander in a new performance "Dar gjekk dampen, men her kjem vi".

The performance features local music, lyrics by Rune Garmann and themes such as "food customs" and "relocation".

The premiere will take place in Knarvik Church February 8th, then on to Nordbygda February 11^th and Hosanger February 15th. Concerts start at 7:00 pm.

The summary is made by the AI ​​tool ChatGPT and quality assured by our journalists. The song "Dar kjem dampen" has been a song that has been a picture of the identity of the Strilane, with the sea and boats as important links between the people in our area.

“But that time is over, and we want to delve a little deeper into what the identity is now,” says Nordhordland Music Theatre president Jarle Hodnekvam and board member, Einar Vatne.

A Deep Dive into the Sense of Identity

They say that others have been responsible for the artistic aspects of the show.

“We are just the backers ourselves,” the two smile modestly.

Rune Garmann, the show’s artistic director, chimes in: “It is as they say, we have tried to take a deep dive into the sense of identity within different themes.”

The show is divided into several sections and deals with sub themes that are introduced in the form of texts written by Garmann. “The songs that follow these themes follow. The themes range from everything from ‘food customs and traditions’, ‘nature and landscape’ and ‘immigration’, to ‘Strilen and Our Lord’,” he says.

There are four solo vocalists on stage: Kjersti Møllerup Wiik, Anveig Solberg, Bjørn Tore Henriksen and Rune Garmann. Håvard Giezendanner acts as the concert narrator, tying in Garmann’s lyrics throughout the show. The backup band consists of Trent Bruner (piano), Jon Martin Skauge (guitar), Tore Vabø (bass) and Espen Vågstøl (drums).

Local Connections

“The songs we have included are all composed or written by people who have, or have had, connections to Nordhordland. Both well-known and less well-known songs,” says guitarist Jon Martin Skauge.

“We have also written new lyrics for some melodies. Among other things, for a melody from 1597, written by a guy from Masfjorden. With new lyrics, it is now called “Song til vinkemannen”, says Garmann.

He says that it is a tribute to a local character in Knarvik who walked and waved to everyone passing by along the E39 highway a few decades ago.

Works from “Dampen” himself, Ivar Medaas, are also included in the performance.

Good old “Du skal ikkje sova bort sommarnatta” has also been included, and Garmann reveals that the song has an exciting history, which he will not tell in the newspaper.

“No, people have to come to the concert to hear it,” he says and smiles.

When Strilen asks how long the concert is, there is silence. Garmann looks away from frontman and guitarist Jon Martin Skauge. They laugh.

“We have a lot of material, but we also plan to shorten it a bit, because for now it is too long,” says Skauge.

“But one can only say that the audience will get a lot for their money,” says Garmann, and the two laugh heartily.

The performance will premiere in Knarvik Church Sunday, February 8th. It will then be performed at Nordbygda Community Center in the Masfjorden area Wednesday, February 11^th and Hosanger Church on the Island of Osterøy Sunday, February 15th.

“The concept is much smaller than the last time we had the show ‘From Sea to Mountains in Nordhordland’, where we had many performers,” says Skauge.

“Now we have made the show so that we can perform in many smaller locations. The idea is that this is a show that can be performed for a long time, and can be performed where we wish,” concludes Garmann.