Narvik Kommunale Musikkskole
Private music schools existed in the mid 1900’s however the first step in the founding a community music school was taken in 1952 when Narvik council employed an organist, conductor and visionary music teacher Carl Trond Nedberg (07.12.1917 – 18.08.2004) as the school’s principal of the council-run school. This was a wise decision as Nedberg’s American wife Norma Eleane Nedberg neé Bergh (28.06.1917 – 27.03.1965), was also a gifted musician, an excellent teacher, and a talented administrator. Hence Narvik gained not one, but two excellent musicians and teachers.
Carl Trond and Norma Nedberg
The Nedbergs arrived in Narvik February 1952. Their first concert was with the Narvik Kirkes Kammerkor (Narvik Church Chamber Choir) in March with Norma on the violin, and Carl-Trond on the church’s new organ. Carl-Trond also took over as conductor to Narvik Byorkester (Narvik Town Orchestra) from autumn 1952, and led it until December 1981.
Originally, Carl Trond came from Porsgrunn. Norma, was a Norwegian-American from a musical family in Hollywood. She had played 1. violin with Oslo Philharmonic. During World War II, Norma played for one of Hollywood’s major movie studios, mostly in background music for world war two propaganda films. Her brother composed film music and played the flute for the Fox film company. (Fremover, 1953)
Nedberg’s greatest gift to Narvik was his work to establish Narvik Kommunale Musikkskole (Narvik Community Music School), which was to take over much of the music instruction done by the local bands. The school has become a cultural cornerstone of the city, and has been a source of inspiration for many generations of children, their families and the general public. It has fostered many talented amateur and professional musicians.
Norma established a junior orchestra in the autumn of 1952 that already, in its first month, had 25 members. It served to recruit musicians to the Town Orchestra. (Fremover, 1952)
Arne Strømsnes
The conductor of the Narvik Guttekor, (Narvik Boys Choir) Arne Strømsnes, was also a pioneer in establishing the council-run music school. Like the Nedbergs, Strømsnes had applied for council support for his organization. This was unsuccessful because the Mayor, Knut Røssaak, felt that supporting a few and not all bands and choirs in the city, was unfair. Carl-Trond then made the visionary suggestion that instead of supporting individual organizations; the council could establish a community music school calling it the Nord-norsk musikkonservatorium (North-Norwegian Music Conservatory). This became Narvik musikkskole and was to be responsible for song and instrumental instruction to youth in Narvik. Nedberg was the school’s first principal. The school in Narvik, was established ten years before any other a council-run music school in Norway (Rølvåg, 1993).
Financing the school
Strømsnes and Nedberg drew up a plan for the school in the spring of 1953. The first students were enrolled in the autumn of 1953. The budget for the first year was Kr 20,000, with the council contributing fifty present, the national government Kr 3,000, and the remainder, Kr 7,000, coming from student fees. Interestingly enough, this financial structure is still much the same today, with over half the school’s income coming from the council, a small percent from the national government and the remainder from student fees.
A local paper Ofotens Tidende, reported that Nedberg and Strømsnes were given assistance to travel to Oslo to investigate how to administer a music school. (Ofotens Tidende, 1953) The other local newspaper Fremover reported in 12.06.53:
Den nye musikkskolen i Narvik kan bli grunnlaget for nord-norsk musikkonservatorium. Organist Carl Trond Nedberg og Arne Strømsnes, to av de som står i spissen for forberedelsen av den nye musikkskolen i Narvik, kom forleden hjem fra Oslo der de med all verdens autoriteter og myndigheter har drøftet opplegget av skolen.
Over alt ble de møtt med forståelse, og etter alt å dømme vil man kunne påregne en betydelig statsstøtte til driften av skolen. Fra departementshold ble det således uten noen foranledning sagt at man ser på dette som et tiltak som kan være med å legge grunnen for et nord-norsk musikkonservatorium.
– Vi har hatt et meget stort utbytte av turen, sier organist Nedberg i en samtale med Fremover. De planene vi har lagt opp ble drøftet med en rekke fremtredende mennesker; fra folk i departementet til en rekke av våre mest kjente musikkpedagoger.
De var alle meget begeistret for ideen. (Fremover, 1953)
The aim of this trip was to obtain governmental support and approval for the new music school in Narvik or what they referred to then as the Nord-norsk musikkonservatorium (North-Norwegian Music Conservatory), meaning it covered the instruction of aspiring youth in the whole of north Norway. In Oslo, Nedberg, and Strømsnes, were met with understanding, and promised significant support. From the Department’s point of view, a North-Norwegian Music Conservatory was an excellent initiative. Nedberg commented that, “The trip was very successful. We discussed the school with many prominent people; from people in the Ministry to a number of our most famous music educators. They were all very excited about the idea.” (Fremover, 1953)
With government subsidies and great interest in the new school, Fremover reported in on the 27th November 1953, that there were already 450 enrolled, of which 400 were children and 50 adults. Carl-Trond was very pleased with both the students, and the school’s progress. It was a very impressive start, considering that today the community school has less students, in a town twice the size.
The full history of Narvik musikkskole later known as Narvik kulturskole is published in Come Dance With Me!
An article on the Nedbergs will be published in Norwegian Årbok for Narvik 2023 (Year Book for Narvik 2023)
This page was written by Fiona Jane Ellingsen, earlier consultant in Narvik kulturkontoret (Narvik cultural office), later music producer and dance teacher at Narvik kommunale musikkskole, later Narvik kulturskole (Narvik community school), from 1991 – 2006.
Permission to publish the photos and text about Carl Trond and Norma Nedberg has been given by Nina Nedberg and Grete Nedberg.
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