Malena Ernman is a Swedish opera singer. She represented Sweden in Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow with “La Voix” and finished 21st with 33 points. The song “La voix” written by Fredrik Kempe. Then today SVT select her for…
Then today SVT select her for Nyårsklockan. Yes for Nyårsklockan. What’s that?
The Swedish tradition of reading ‘Ring Out, Wild Bells’ began in 1897 when the young Swedish actor Anders de Wahl was asked to perform the poem at the annual New Year’s Eve Celebration at Skansen (It is an open air museum and zoo) in Stockholm. The Swedish translation, Nyårsklockan, is made by Edvard Fredin and was released in 1890.
He performed ‘Ring Out, Wild Bells’ (in Swedish ‘Nyårsklockan’) until his death in 1956. SVT decided to broadcast the annual New Years Celebration from Skansen in Stockholm on television, and this was first broadcast on 31 December 1977 when actor Georg Rydeberg read the poem. This turned out to be a major success and he recited the poem until his death in 1983. It should be clearly noted that the Swedish translation varies from the English original.
SVT broadcasts the New Year celebrations at Skansen and every year this poem is recited by someone to public:
Georg Rydeberg 1977 – 1982
Jarl Hill 1983 – 1996
Margaretha Krook 1997 – 2000
Jan Malmsjö 2001 – 2013
Loa falkman 2014
Malena Ernman 2015
This year Nyårsklockan is recited by Malena Ernman who represented Sweden in Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow. She said:
“Last winter they asked me than i said “Yes” after 15 minutes. It’s a great honor for me.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPD7FuG0Ba0
Original Text:
- Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
- The flying cloud, the frosty light
- The year is dying in the night;
- Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
- Ring out the old, ring in the new,
- Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
- The year is going, let him go;
- Ring out the false, ring in the true.
- Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
- For those that here we see no more,
- Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
- Ring in redress to all mankind.
- Ring out a slowly dying cause,
- And ancient forms of party strife;
- Ring in the nobler modes of life,
- With sweeter manners, purer laws.
- Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
- The faithless coldness of the times;
- Ring out, ring out thy mournful rhymes,
- But ring the fuller minstrel in.
- Ring out false pride in place and blood,
- The civic slander and the spite;
- Ring in the love of truth and right,
- Ring in the common love of good.
- Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
- Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
- Ring out the thousand wars of old,
- Ring in the thousand years of peace.
- Ring in the valiant man and free,
- The larger heart the kindlier hand;
- Ring out the darkness of the land,
- Ring in the Christ that is to be.