Björgvin Guðmundsson

Björgvin Guðmundsson was born at Rjúpnafell in Vopnafjörður in 1891. He was the son of a farmer, the youngest of five siblings who survived to adulthood. His father, Guðmundur Jónsson, was the precentor at Hofskirkja and led the musical life of the household each day with family devotions. It soon became clear that Björgvin was drawn to music, and when he was only twelve years old, he took over from his father, who had by then fallen ill, and assumed responsibility for the household’s musical activities.

As there was no instrument on the farm, Björgvin tried in various ways to produce music. He constructed a very primitive string instrument by fastening a piece of twine to a chair and attaching the other end to a spool, tightening and loosening it alternately to produce tones, and in this way he was able to compose melodies. Whenever there was an instrument or singing anywhere in the district, he tried to take part. In this manner, he gradually learned the relationships between keys and taught himself to notate, both rhythmically and melodically, the songs he knew.

Kristján Wium, organist at Vopnafjarðarkirkja, encouraged Björgvin in his musical composition and taught him what little he could in instrumental performance before leaving for America. One of the first works Björgvin composed was a setting of the hymn by Hallgrímur Pétursson, “Bænin má aldrei bresta þig” (“May Prayer Never Fail You”). The melody came to him, so to speak, in an instant, complete in all its voices, and it was printed exactly as he had written it at the age of seventeen.

It was with great sorrow that Björgvin left Iceland in 1911. His family emigrated, along with many neighbors, to Canada in the hope of a better life. They also hoped that there he would have greater opportunities to connect with musical life and develop his talents.

Upon arriving in Canada, not everyone was fortunate enough to find steady work. Björgvin’s brothers became farmers, while he worked intermittently at threshing or carpentry. Employment was scarce. At the same time, he sought contact with musicians, sang in choirs, and composed as inspiration moved him. He was fluent in reading music and quickly grasped harmonic structure and tonal relationships. In this way, he taught himself much, while also attempting to take lessons in instrumental performance and music theory. His family supported him wholeheartedly. He was allowed to arrange his farm work so that he could devote time to composition, and he used every spare moment to write music.

Gradually, his fellow countrymen began to recognize his musical gifts. He was asked to conduct choirs, and his works were performed with increasing frequency. In the winter of 1926, Björgvin rehearsed a sixty-member choir for the premiere of the sacred cantata Adveniat Regnum Tuum (“Thy Kingdom Come”). The cantata was performed at the First Lutheran Church in Winnipeg. His talent was considered undeniable, and the Icelandic community in Canada wished to support him in further musical studies. He subsequently traveled to London with his wife and daughter and studied at the Royal College of Music, where his principal teacher was Herbert Howells. He graduated after only two years of study.

After completing his studies in London, he returned to Canada, where he worked until 1931, when he was appointed singing teacher at the primary school and the junior college (menntaskóli) in Akureyri, Iceland. In Akureyri he founded the Akureyri Cantata Choir, which premiered many of his major works, and he conducted the choir for approximately twenty-three years.

Björgvin Guðmundsson was one of the most prolific composers in Iceland of his time. He was a pioneer in composing large-scale choral works. He composed five oratorios, and in total wrote nearly six hundred works in both small and large forms—including a stage play, Skrúðsbóndinn, published in 1942 and performed in Akureyri to strong attendance. Many of his works were published in print, as well as his autobiography, Minningar (“Memories”), which was published in 1950 and covers the years up to 1931.

Björgvin Guðmundsson died in Akureyri on January 4, 1961.

Text source: https://hljomblik.is/efni/fyrirtaekid