Oskar Ahnfelt
Encyclopedia
Oscar Ahnfelt was the "Spiritual Troubadour" of 19th-century Sweden.
Ahnfelt composed the music for all of Lina Sandell
's hymn
s. He was a pietist and traveled over Scandinavia
singing her hymns, bringing with him a 10-string guitar. The state church
authorities did not like pietistic hymns and, anticipating a royal injunction on the singing of Sandell's songs, ordered Ahnfelt to sing them before King Karl XV
. But after hearing them, the King announced to Ahnfelt, "You may sing as much as you desire in both my kingdoms" (Norway and Sweden being, at the time, both in the realm of the Swedish monarchy).. Ahnfelt sang them so much that Sandell wrote, "Ahnfelt has sung my songs into the hearts of the people".
Sandell-Ahnfelt hymns have spread throughout the world (including Lutheran hymnals), two of the most common in English-speaking churches being "Children of the Heavenly Father" and "Day by Day and with Each Passing Moment" (the respective first lines in Swedish, and consequently the generic tune names in English, being "Blott en dag" [literally, just one day] and "Tryggare kan ingen vara" [safer can no one be]).
Jenny Lind
—known worldwide as "the Swedish Nightingale"—was also a pietist and popularized sandell's hymns in America and wherever she sang. She also financed the first edition of Ahnfelt songs, the lyrics being mostly by Sandell.
Ahnfelt died on October 22, 1882, in Karlshamn
, Blekinge
, Sweden. He is buried in Hvilans Kyrkogård (Hvilans Cemetery).
Ahnfelt composed the music for all of Lina Sandell
Lina Sandell
Lina Sandell was a Swedish writer of Gospel hymns.Born Karolina Wilhelmina Sandell in a rectory at Fröderyd, Småland, Sweden...
's hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s. He was a pietist and traveled over Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
singing her hymns, bringing with him a 10-string guitar. The state church
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
authorities did not like pietistic hymns and, anticipating a royal injunction on the singing of Sandell's songs, ordered Ahnfelt to sing them before King Karl XV
Charles XV of Sweden
Charles XV & IV also Carl ; Swedish and Norwegian: Karl was King of Sweden and Norway from 1859 until his death....
. But after hearing them, the King announced to Ahnfelt, "You may sing as much as you desire in both my kingdoms" (Norway and Sweden being, at the time, both in the realm of the Swedish monarchy).. Ahnfelt sang them so much that Sandell wrote, "Ahnfelt has sung my songs into the hearts of the people".
Sandell-Ahnfelt hymns have spread throughout the world (including Lutheran hymnals), two of the most common in English-speaking churches being "Children of the Heavenly Father" and "Day by Day and with Each Passing Moment" (the respective first lines in Swedish, and consequently the generic tune names in English, being "Blott en dag" [literally, just one day] and "Tryggare kan ingen vara" [safer can no one be]).
Jenny Lind
Jenny Lind
Johanna Maria Lind , better known as Jenny Lind, was a Swedish opera singer, often known as the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she is known for her performances in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and across Europe, and for an extraordinarily...
—known worldwide as "the Swedish Nightingale"—was also a pietist and popularized sandell's hymns in America and wherever she sang. She also financed the first edition of Ahnfelt songs, the lyrics being mostly by Sandell.
Ahnfelt died on October 22, 1882, in Karlshamn
Karlshamn
Karlshamn is a locality and the seat of Karlshamn Municipality in Blekinge County, Sweden with 12,957 inhabitants of the city core and 30 918 in the municipality ....
, Blekinge
Blekinge
' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , situated in the south of the country. It borders Småland, Scania and the Baltic Sea.The name "Blekinge" comes from the adjective bleke, which corresponds to the nautical term for "dead calm"....
, Sweden. He is buried in Hvilans Kyrkogård (Hvilans Cemetery).
External links
- Oscar Ahnfelt at findagrave