Concerts

Old-time music trio concerts: With our current trio which has filled most of our "coffee break" shows we play old-time songs and tuned, mainly from the southern Appalachian mountains which we have learned on our travels through the area and from source recordings. We have incorporated hymns from the Sacred Harp and other American hymnals, but accompany these with our instruments and we take into account that many of these melodies are indeed much older and have roots in the old world. We have also found tunes which clearly stem from central and northern European couple dances and explore the different ways these are played and danced to.

A Norwegian Tour: Although we have concentrated on learning the repertoire of Tovdal fiddle master Salve Austenå (1927-2019), we have also had the opportunity to learn a wide range of dance tunes and to play for popular dance evenings. In this program we present a variety of tunes for vanlig fele (violin) and hardingfele as well as demonstrate several dances. The oldest tunes and dances are from the countryside traditions dating from the 16th.c. while the newer dances and their melodies are imported from Europe in the 19th c. We often collaborate with Hans Olav Gorset for this program, adding historic flute, recorder and seljefløyte (willow flute).

Feleboga String Band: With the addition of both Mattias and Alix, Feleboga becomes a full string band with two fiddles, banjo, guitar and bass. Our repertoire includes fast driving fiddle tunes, often with lyrics, as well as more laid-back tunes and waltzes. The song repertoire includes old ballads as well as newer songs from the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers and Doc Watson and from 78 records. 

 

 

Dances

Square Dance / barn dance:  Feleboga has played for square dances in the US, Norway and Iceland. Alix is an experienced caller of southern squares, big circle dances and some older social dances. These use relatively simple figures which are explained before each dance making them possible (and fun!) for all ages regardless of previous experience. Hans-Hinrich has learned calling from Phil Jamison, an expert caller from North Carolina and Mattias has picked up dancing and calling just from taking part in the tradition.

Norwegian dance: 

Feleboga has played played for "gammeldans" in Oslo at the Sunday dances at BLS, and we have played for the older "bygdedans" of Telemark, Setesdal and some other areas in Norway, Germany and the US. We have also played for Cajun dances in Oslo.

 

Workshops

American dance: Feleboga can offer dance workshops in square dance figures and dances. In addition, Alix can teach flatfooting, or southern style clogging, a solo dance that incorporates both simple, basic figures and more complicated variations.

Norwegian dance: Feleboga teaches Norwegian dances and has done so for a long time. Hans-Hinrich has developed a course he calls "Telegangar quick and dirty" where he teaches the rudiments of one of the oldest dances in Norway in a short time, so that the participants can take part in a dance party right after. He has taught students in Norway, Germany, Sweden, Poland, the US and Thailand. Alix Cordray is one of the most experienced dance teachers in Norway and has a huge repertoire.

We also lead workshops in American traditional dance, have worked with different callers and teachers, but Alix, Hans-HInrich and Mattias have all called dances, both "Southern squares" and other formation dances.

Elizabeth and Mattias can teach a number of fiddle styles and repertoires. Mattias has taught clawhammer banjo, and Hans-HInrich old-time guitar.

Lectures

Hans-Hinrich is a musicologist and has given talks and lectures on many topics concerning traditional musics.