Sunnukór, a choir from Ísafjörður on their trip to Minneapolis – North Dakota and Winnipeg 7^th – 21^st June 2002

Sunnukór, a choir from Ísafjörður was founded in 1934 and it is the oldest combined choir that is in existence in Iceland. Jónas Tómasson who ran a bookstore in Ísafjörður, was the man who first established and conducted the choir for about 20 years.

Ragnar H. Ragnar conducted for the next 15 years. Right from its institution, the choir has taken on many works and definitely has stood by their original intention which was taken at their first meeting to increase and strengthen the art of singing within the town.

The present conductor of the choir is Margrét Geirsdóttir and her accompanist is Sigríður Ragnarsdóttir.

Ragnar Ragnar was born on 28^th September 1898 at Ljótsstöðum in Laxárdal, Suður-þingeyjarsýsla. Ragnar graduated from Samvinnuskólinn in 1920 and later moved to Canada where he studied many types of music in Winnipeg. Jónas Pálsson, pianist and composer, was one of his first teachers. Eva Claire who was in charge of the music department at Manitoba University, later became his main teacher. For many years he was a solo pianist and an accompanist in Canada and America, besides being a productive conductor. He also did some composing for solo singers and choirs including orchestration of many types.

The year 1942 Ragnar joined up with the American army and was later called to Iceland to work as a confidant for the Americans until 1945. During the war years Ragnar conducted a choir from Þingeyjarsýsla in Reykjavík and there he met his future wife, Sigríður Jónsdóttir. They were married on 21^st July 1945 and settled in the town of Gardar in North Dakota where they lived until 1948 and moved to Ísafjörður the same year. Ragnar had been employed as the director of the newly-founded music school in Ísafjörður. He was the main teacher at the school and taught theory of music and singing at the primary and secondary school in Ísafjörður for many decades, an organist for many years at the church in Ísafjörður, also he conducted Sunnukórinn and the men´s choir. Ragnar was manager of the music school of Ísafjörður for a long time and he and his wife Sigríður saw to most concerts that were held in Ísafjörður and receptions for visiting musicians. With this strength the music school of Ísafjörður became a powerful cultural foundation which was respected by the whole country. Ragnar was chosen as an honorary member of Ísafjörður in 1978 for his contribution to the musical culture. He was also honoured with The Knight´s Cross, The Commander´s Cross and The Order of the Falcon for his social and cultural contributions to society. Ragnar was director of the music school of Ísafjörður until 1984 and taught at the school until his death on Christmas Eve in 1987.

Sigríður Jónsdóttir was born in Gautlöndum in Mývatnssveit on 26^th July 1922. She studied at Menntaskólinn, a college in Akureyri and then at Teacher´s College of Iceland. Sigríður began teaching at the primary school in Ísafjörður in 1957 where she taught until 1992 and was one of the most adored teachers at the school. She also taught theory at the music school and supported her husband in all that concerned the school. Sigríður had many interests and took part in many social groups in Ísafjörður. Among other things, she ran for council for the Feminists’ Party, she was on the cultural board for Ísafjörður from 1971 – 1986 where her longest holding position was chairman and she was on the board for the Protection of Nature for Westfjords from 1975 for many years. In 1977 she was also awarded the Knight´s Cross and the Order of the Falcon for her social and cultural contributions. Sigríður passed away after a long illness on 10^th March 1993.

For a long time the choir has dreamed of travelling to America and Canada to the area where the Icelandic immigrants began their lives, to sing where Ragnar and Sigríður lived and worked. Now that this dream is becoming a reality, it´s unbelievable that both Ragnar´s and Sigga´s daughters, Anna Áslaug a pianist in Germany and Sigríður the director of the music school in Ísafjörður and the choir´s accompanist are with us on this trip.

In our program there are songs by two former choir conductors, Hjálmar H. Ragnarsson and Jónas Tómasson junior, the former being Ragnar´s and Sigga´s son and the latter their son-in-law.

At the concerts the choir will mainly sing Icelandic songs both old and new. The solo singer will be Ingunn Ósk Sturludóttir and her choir partners will play the harmonica and the bass guitar.