Photo & © Maria Nehro
There is something special about Nösund, something that´s hard to describe! The idyllic inn on the island Orust, eighty kilometers north of Gothenburg, offers relatively simple accommodation but the food is top class, and the extensive artist program speaks for itself. The concerts are small and intimate, you feel close to the singers on stage, and there are often unexpected elements that you hardly would experience anywhere else!
On Monday we arrived by bus, Madelaine, Kristina and I, at half past two in the afternoon. We had been travelling since early morning, with several train and bus changes. Helen, who arrived at the same time with her eldest son Ruben, had taken the same adventurous journey.
We checked in in separate rooms in Strandgården, and the rest of the afternoon we spent on our own. Kristina and I took the opportunity to have a look around the beautiful surroundings, and afterwards we listened for a while to the sound check in the main building. We met Anders Ekborg in the doorway, which added to my hopes that he would be a guest at Helen’s concert. I´ve followed Anders’ career for more than fifteen years, and to hear him and Helen together is an ever-present pipe dream for me.
At six o’clock we met all three again, to have something to drink in the bar before dinner. Just then the CEO Lisa Lind passed by, and briskly instructed the bartender to give us each a glass of champagne on the house. Then we were shown to our table: at the front, slightly to the right of the stage. At each place was a small folded sheet with a Helen’s photo, and the evening’s menu:
Starter: Fresh smoked salmon, dill cream, pickled red onion, Västerbotten pie
Main course: Baked cod loin, warm spring vegetable salad, herb sauce, boiled new potatoes
Dessert: Mascarpone cream, raspberry compote, pistachios, raspberry sorbet
The food was fantastic, as always. The cold, frozen dessert possibly left a bit to be desired, in my opinion. Around nine o´clock it was time for Helen to enter the stage, together with her musicians Martin Östergren on keyboard, Jojje Wadenius, guitar, and Ulrik Johanson, bass. For the evening Helen was dressed in a white vest and a top, and beige trousers with gold pattern. The program included both laughter and sadness, and this is what we got to hear:
Horgalåten
Both sides now (Swedish version)
Kvinnan för dig
Ballad potpourri:
Vårvindar friska
Vindarna sucka
Här är gudagott att vara
Kling klang klockan slår
Lustvin dansar en gavott med de fem sinnena
Vid vassen av den krökta ström
Sverige
Kärleksmorgon (instrumental, Jojje Wadenius etc.)
Euforia
Ärlighet
Du är min man
PAUSE
Ingrid Dardels polska
Man borde inte sova
For You
You´re Always Here (duet with Anders Ekborg)
Låt oss gå på lyktcafé (Martin Östergren)
Fanfar
Spiralsången
Big Yellow Taxi
Gabriellas sång
Vår sista dans (encore)
Du måste finnas (encore)
The concert was both professional and enjoyable in every way! I particularly love the songs from Visor and Kvinnan för dig. But as an inveterate supporter of Anders the evening’s climax was the duet You’re Always Here, from Anders latest CD Painted Dreams!
The only cause for concern was a lady at the next table, placed in front of Helen, who had either been drinking too much alcohol during the evening, or suffered from a neurological disorder, like ADHD. She gave us no rest, she made her voice heard all the time! Either she asked for her favorite songs, or blurted out “Oh my Goood, isn’t she great!?” at completely inappropriate times. Helen handled the annoying woman very professionally, and didn’t make a single face that showed if she was disturbed by her. But the audience had trouble relaxing, because she was so erratic, and we didn´t know what we could expect from her next. Ruben, however, behaved perfectly during the concert and applauded enthusiasticly, and at times Helen sang especially for him.
After the encores the concert was over, and our waitress arrived with our receipts to sign. This may sound perfectly normal, but was a pleasant surprise for us. The administration has left a lot to be desired in previous years, but now it seemed like the procedure has been streamlined. Then we said goodnight and went our separate ways, tired but very satisfied after a long day. Just in case I asked Anders if he would be part of the concert also the following evening, and he so sweetly responded that “if we were there, he promised to”!
The next morning we enjoyed the breakfast buffet together with Simon and Linn, who visited Nösund the same two nights we did, and who also took the opportunity to get engaged during their stay. On Tuesday Kristina and I went climbing on the rocks along the sea shore, and worked a bit with Helen’s website. At half past six we converged again, all tree of us, to take our seats in the restaurant for concert number two. If we had enjoyed the show on Monday night, this night was even better! With a calmer audience Helen probably felt safer and more comfortable on stage, and was able to loosen up a little bit more. Spiralsången, with Martin and Jojje’s minimalistic choreography is insanely funny, and my favorite songs naturally the same as the night before. This evening Helen wore a white patterned tunic and white trousers. Anders had changed from a white to a red shirt. Initially I was moved to tears just by seeing them together on stage, but then the webmaster role took over, and the camera was frequently used. This evening Helen sang an extra encore, Kåta Maja, because she didn´t want the concert to end in such sad and serious mood that “Du måste finnas” creates.
Wednesday morning it was time for us to pack up and return home, after two gold-rimmed days. Helen, however, would remain for another concert. As always it felt sad to leave Nösund, and we would have loved to stay the third night too!