THE NEWS FROM BRUNER’S BROOD WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2026 - AN ODE TO THE ALVIDT MANGER SINGERS

As I write this article from the Norwegian island of Osterøy, I trust all is well with you and that your musical experiences again have been enjoyable and pleasant. For those who have recently liked and followed my artist page since my last posting July 1, 2026, thank you very much for your interest and kind support, as I warmly welcome all the new followers who have come onboard. Please share this page with others, tell those you know that this page and website exists, and let them know that activities and events are lining up nicely for summer 2026 and beyond. This article shares reflections of a choir I have conducted from 2019-2026 that recently shut down its operations last month and had a longer history before I worked with them. Here’s the latest for my Facebook pages and www.trentbruner.com.  I remember hearing about the Alvidt Manger Singers after I moved to Norway in September 2004 through Liv Skoglund, a lady who served for 21 years as a church organist at Osterøy, and also conducted this community choir that would rehearse in the Town of Knarvik, northwest of where we live. At that time, this choir was a merger of two separate mixed choirs in the late 1980s from the Alvidt and Manger regions in the present day Alver Municipality, northwest of Bergen. I also remember that some members of the choir were from Osterøy, such as Ulf Sverresvold (bass) and Sigrun Raknes (soprano) when Liv conducted the choir. Because of her work as a church organist shifting from Osterøy to the City of Bergen and her work percentage increasing with the Norwegian Lutheran Church in later years, she resigned her conductorship with this choir. When Tone Lise Moberg from Os took over Alvidt Manger, she and I had worked together since Fall 2011 with the Unneland Community Choir and the Bergen staff choir with the Norwegian Department of Highways, where she served as conductor for both choirs, and I was her accompanist and substitute conductor for these same choirs. I became a part of Alvidt Manger in 2017 as substitute conductor and accompanist on piano and guitar like as we had worked together before. I remember a dedicated core of sopranos and altos who were steadfast members, as well as some men who did their best to divide themselves between tenor and bass parts. Membership in this choir was over 20 members when I began with them. In Spring 2019, Tone Lise resigned as conductor to take other employment and to be closer to her young family. I was promoted thereafter by the choir executive to begin as their permanent conductor that September. But at that time, the choir was losing men due to changes in their employment and an aging group of men who were developing health issues. During the corona pandemic and shortly afterwards, we lost the remaining three men for these reasons. The choir’s repertoire ranged from traditional Norwegian and Scandinavian songs to ballads and hymns. They enjoyed participating at various concerts, church services, choir coffee houses, and regional singers' performance weekends organized through various organizations. Among the projects the choir organized included the "Ramsalt Choir Coffee House" which was arranged during “Kystsognvekene” (West Coast Culture Week) early each November. This event featured food that was tied to a local cultural theme and often had a guest speaker come to educate the public on various aspects of local life and related culture. The choir also participated in annual New Year’s Concerts organized by the Hordaland chapter of the Norwegian Choral Federation each January for various choirs in the Bergen region. They also arranged an annual spring choir night for paid patrons where they would either create a potluck supper or order in a menu item of choice for a supper, concert and dance. We enjoyed our performances for this group every spring. What I also remember every year it operated was the work the ladies made in baking various cakes and cookies, and all the ladies challenged me to have a sample of every cake that was served! (I kept my portions small so I could honour their wishes!) In the 2022-23 season, this choir was approached by the newly founded Nordhordland Music Theatre Group to be part of its first ever project, which was a tribute to Eikanger songwriter and dance musician Arne Høyland. Alvidt Manger would become the backup singers for arrangements of 20 songs from Arne’s 100 song repertoire. I was asked to create newly notated songs by the new organization for a 30 song music book, an eventual CD and a five concert plan around Alver, Masfjorden and Osterøy municipalities to celebrate Arne Høyland and his 70^th birthday that year. For the choir, they learned that singing backup was a new experience for them, as well as a new experience for me being choir conductor and musical director for the Music Theatre’s first project. We grew musically and made new friendships with the band members and the organizers of this memorable tour, which had two additional concerts organized in 2023-2024 as well. But when it became clear we would not have men returning or recruited through this project, the decision was then made to become a women’s choir and work with what we had going forward. Another achievement was their participation in the opening Thursday evening service for the 1000^th jubilee celebration of the Hamre Lutheran Church congregation in May 2024, with Pastor Ida Greve and me working together with them. The program was an evening prayer service with liturgical music connected to worship services from centuries earlier that attracted regional participation, as Hamre Lutheran Church was the central church for many boats that travelled by Osterøy centuries ago, and for an entire region before Bergen became Norway’s second largest city today. After this celebration, the ladies sang with me as conductor for two more seasons before giving their final concert in Salhus Lutheran Church in Bergen on Wednesday, June 17th. The group had 12 of its 14 remaining members sing for this final occasion that was decided on by the choir Monday, May 18, 2026. This concludes an era of a musical history that was marked by mergers, changes in repertoire and adaptations within the group for years before I became their conductor. I will miss fellowship with all past and present members we had during their rehearsals and performances, but I am thankful for the nine years I was able to work with them in varying capacities. I wish every one of them the best in their future endeavours in music and life. It has been an honour to be a tradition keeper with you and do my best for you to be the best you could ever be. I know I speak the same for those who have conducted you before I became a part of your musical history. Until next time, see you soon down the musical trail with another article. Thanks to the Alvidt Manger Singers for the memories.

Musically yours, Trent