Welcome, friends, to the eighth annual Icelandic-Canadian arts convergence known to all-and-amma as núna (now). Eight is of course a very special age – the time of life when one asserts a little independence, stakes a greater claim on selfhood and walks just that tiny bit further away from móðir og faðir when strolling at the mall.
But one still needs guidance, and though our beloved Consul and consigliere, Atli Ásmundsson, has flown back to Iceland, no doubt with tales to tell, we are lucky enough to have a grand new Consul to pox and bedevil, Hjálmar W. Hannesson, and we would like to officially welcome him on board our grand and ever-moving experiment in culture clash. We are doubly lucky too, as we still count Tim Samson and Bill Perlmutter among our counselors, allies and friends.
And we are luckiest of all to call you, the spectator, friend again this year. And what treats we have for you! Already the great collaboration with GroundSwell, Ether/Aura, has enriched our souls; and to come we have such delights as a concert by acclaimed mezzo-soprano Christine Antenbring, who will be warbling an array of Icelandic folk tunes in the comfort of the First Lutheran Church on Victor Street on May 18th.
A unique and frankly unmissable theatrical dance performance will take place over the weekend of May 23 and 24 – and it’s not just dance, but an object lesson in how to interact with your in-laws. It’s a truly special piece, and will be prefaced with a stand-up performance by several professional actors of The Ring, a short and highly eccentric play by Guttormur J. Guttormson.
On June 17, Icelandic Independence Day, we will be presenting a rich and varied afternoon of what we like to call Icelandic Vaudeville – just trust us, you’ll be entertained. And as a part of the Great Weekend, which is to say the first weekend in August, we will be co-presenting some remarkable musical acts from Iceland. And we have some special treats in store for later in the year as well, so please keep your ear close to the lava-hardened ground!
We offer our special thanks this year to Kevin Olafson, who’s helping keep us all sane and on track, and whose only flaw is that he’s not named Heidi. And as ever, we thank our wonderful and generous sponsors, whose names you should read on this website and on our programs, and whose products and/or services you really ought to use. We reserve our greatest thanks to our marvelous audiences, and we can’t thank you enough for being a part of our Icelandic-Canadian gumbo of goodness. To you we simply say: Excelsior! Enjoy núna 2014!