Can’t start this week in any other way than to praise Anja Pärsson… The Swedish flying skiier, looking like a lightning in the slopes. With thighs that is bigger than both my put together.

She is so good - and this after a really bad season where she haven’t won anything at all and we (swedes) all counted her out about the 1 nov. But she proved us wrong and now she’s defilating through the world cup. In Åre, Sweden.

I am most impressed and hope that we all get inspired by her personality, fighting spirit and joy in the slopes.

This week a lot of brass banding has been (or is being) sent out over radio. The complete program is found here http://www.4barsrest.com/news/detail.asp?id=4972

This is the creme de la creme of bands in the world so don’t miss it.

A week, or so, ago the Eikanger-Bjørsvik Musikklag (http://www.ebml.no) went to Britain to take part of the RNCM Festival of Brass together with the top bands of Britain.

This is the top band in the world as far as I am concerned and they got some marvelous reviews, see http://www.4barsrest.com/reviews/concerts/con381.asp. Also I have heard that Elgar Howarth went on stage and told the band “Now I can die, this was the best concert I ever attended!”…

So if you want to hear it find it here on Wednesday and (hopefully) for a while afterwards also http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/radio/wk6/wed.shtml

I went to a short concert last afternoon with the Hendon band. This is one of the biggest bands in the Salvation and maybe elsewhere. So I had prepared for a real “earcleaner” but to my big surprise they managed to play very controlled and balanced.

Strong, yes for sure, but also very soft where needed. Great to hear. Cornet-soloists was amazing and the tuba section was so nice to hear. A soft, dark sound with much richness and really led the band.

So - if you ever have the possibility to hear this band, don’t get scared by the size. There are some very good quality sounds to be heard from the band.

When this comes to the local amusement park I’ll be far, far away… but not via a slingshot. :)

Found an article about the most famous band room in the brass band movement. You’ll find it here http://4barsrest.com/articles/2006/art665.asp

The Black Dyke Band band room is a room filled with stories and famous tales (like the Bb-tuba player that used to warm up by playing tones so that the different photos would vibrate, cool!) that every banding person is interested in. For the rest of you … not as interesting i can assume.

I started my family tree on Geni.com yesterday and in just one day it boosted to around 80 people. Really fun and good to see.

I already have learned about family members that I didn’t knew I had.

Found a great site about genealogy. http://www.geni.com

Yes - we’ve seen this before and it probably will die together with the rest of these site - but it’s so good looking… and so very quick to get started.

Go on - maybe we are related.

OK - found this on a site and it just blew my mind!

I’ve actually heard that piece with Øystein Baadsvik before but it still amazing.

For all non-brass players - this is more or less impossible stuff. Imagine a footballer doing a tripple-salkov and kicking a basketball into the top corner of a goal from 200 meters - and you are close in how hard this is.

Oh no - I started to follow YouTube-links… Shouldn’t have done that…

But this is too good to slip by me. Chad Vader - so great!