Páll Halldórsson

Páll was born in Hnífsdal on January 14, 1902. His father was Halldór Pálsson, a fisherman and chairman of Halldórssonar, and his mother was Guðríður Mósesdóttir, Illugasonar, Örnólfssonar, Snæbjörnssonar.

Páll was the eldest of seven siblings. He married his surviving wife on February 26, 1938. She is Hulda Sigríður Guðmundsdóttir Norðdahl. Her parents lived in Elliðakot and at Geithálsi in Mosfellssveit. The children of Páll and Hulda are: Margrét, a teacher, born April 14, 1943, and Halldór, a flute player, born June 15, 1946.

Páll completed his teacher's degree from the Teachers' College in Reykjavík in 1925. He studied organ with Páli Ísólfssyni from 1926-1930. Music theory with Sigfúsi Einarssyni and counterpoint with Dr. Victori Urbancic. In 1948-1949 he pursued further studies at Musikschule & Konservatorium in Basel, and Det kgl. danske Musikkonservatorium and Statens Lærerhøjskole in Copenhagen. He attended a course in classical church singing in Halmstad, Sweden in 1948, and a course for Nordic music teachers in Oslo in 1949.

He began his teaching career at Nauteyrarhr. School, N-Iceland, in 1925-1926. Teacher at Austurbæjarskóli in Reykjavík from 1930 to 1959. Part-time teacher at Iðnskóli Reykjavíkur 1930-1932. Verslunarskóli Íslands 1932-1936. Choir director: Karlakór Hnífsdælinga 1919-1920. Karlakór iðnaðarmanna 1932-1942, Söngfél. Þrestir in Hafnarfjörður 1927-1928 and 1949-1950, Söngfél. Stefnir in Mosfellssveit 1945-1951. Assistant organist at Fríkirkjan in Reykjavík 1926-1930. Church organist at Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík 1941-1977. On the board of the Association of Icelandic Organists from 1951-1966. On the Nordic Church Music Council from 1957-1965.

As can be seen from the above, Páll was diligent and hardworking. However, it remains to mention the composer. He composed many works, of which the following may be mentioned: Hin mæta morgunstund, partita for organ 1981. Ó, guð, þér hrós og heiður ber, partita for organ, published 1981. and Tólf kóralforspil, published 1982. Not all of his works are listed here, but Nýtt söngvasafn is well known, which he compiled and prepared for publication together with Friðrik Bjarnason and others, which they worked on for the State Textbook Publishing House.