Today we said our goodbyes to the fabulous people at Raulandsakademiet, and set off for Notodden, in Telemark county. Notodden is on the shore of Heddalsvatnet lake, a truly spectacular view. It is also home to Norway’s largest stave church: Heddal Stave Church, which we stopped at before entering the town center.
Notodden Airport, Tuven, is located west of the city centre. Norsk Hydro was founded in this town. Notodden is well known for the annual Notodden Blues Festival,
Just before leaving, we sang the Lutkin The Lord Bless You And Keep You at the request of our tour guide, and Kaylee Capp did a beautiful job conducting it. Then we boarded the bus and set out for the Notodden city center.
Notodden is the Blues capital of Norway. The Notodden Bok & blueshuse is a revered center for blues/pop/folk performances, history, museum and sound studios. We were invited to record in the Juke Joint Studio a souvenir album as a keepsake for our trip through Norway. So we recorded a few choral numbers, and then made room for Rose Bateman, a soprano who is also a singer/songwriter, and a student chamber group, Vox Humana, to explore sounds in the studio and take advantage of the generous studio-time opportunity!
After this recording session, we realized that our musical performance portion of the trip is at a final cadence. We have sung in so many places, in so many spaces, and for so many faces, the choristers deserve their upcoming Oslo break!
Tonight we went up to the University of South East Norway, Notodden to explore the campus and spend time with some of the students. We were dined and then we got a tour around campus by the students. And a few of the students headed up by Antonio stayed on to go on a hike with their new European friends. Now we have the night to explore Notodden!
