Dragefjellets Musikkorps, also known as the Bergen Symphonic Band is an ''elite division'' amateur wind band in

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. It traces its beginnings from 1909 as the band at the Dragefjellet School. On September 1, 1914, it was formed as Norway's first amateur wind band by older members from the school band, along with Dragefjellet School headmaster,

Sverre Vigander Sverre, Sverrir or Sverri is a Nordic name from the Old Norse ''Sverrir'', meaning "wild, swinging, spinning". It is a common name in Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands; it is less common in Denmark and Sweden. It can also be a surname. Sverre ma ...

. It remained a relatively small band until

Ragnar Maalen Ragnar ( non, Ragnarr ) is a masculine Germanic given name, composed of the Old Norse elements ''ragin-'' "counsel" and ''hari-'' "army". Origin and variations The Proto-Germanic forms of the compounds are "ragina" (counsel) and "harjaz" or " ...

became conductor in 1970. Maalen served from 1970–1982, and led during a period in which ''"Dragen"'' expanded its membership and established its goals of becoming a leading Norwegian band. It won the first Norwegian Wind Band Championships in 1981 with Maalen conducting.

Lars Kristian Brynildsen Lars Kristian Holm Brynildsen (October 8, 1954 - August 17, 2005) was a Norwegian clarinetist. He was principal clarinet of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra from 1979 until his death in 2005 and was a member of the Bergen Woodwind Quintet for 25 y ...

was conductor for ten years from 1986 - 1996. And the band won the Norwegian championships twice during this period. After Brynildsen's departure, ''Dragen'' continued without a principal conductor, and worked with numerous conductors (including Brynildsen) on a project-by-project basis for the next decade. The band has won the Norwegian Wind Band Championships a total of seven times: 1981, 1983, 1988, 1992, 2006, 2007 and 2009. It has close ties with the Grieg Academy of music (at the University of Bergen), and many of its members are current or former academy students. Timeline: *1909 - ''Dragefjellets Skole Musikkorps'' started. *1914 - ''Dragefjellets Musikkorps'' started by older members of the school band, with school headmaster

. *1918 - The band has 18 members. *1921 - (June 29) Band purchases property, outside of Bergen, on which the cottage ''Dragehytten'' will eventually sit.Information on Dragehytten http://www.dragefjellets-musikkorps.no/index.htm *1958 - Records its first record album. *1968 - Women first allowed to join the band. *1970 -

, principal trombonist in the

Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra is a Norwegian orchestra based in Bergen. Its principal concert venue is the Grieg Hall. History Established in 1765 under the name ''Det Musicalske Selskab'' (The Musical Society), it later changed its name t ...

, becomes conductor. Band has 15 - 20 members. *1981 - Band wins the Norwegian national championships for first time. *1982 - Records its second album. *1983 - Band wins the Norwegian national championships for second time. *1987 -

, principal

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

in the

, becomes conductor. *1988 - Band wins the Norwegian national championships for third time. *1989 - Band receives 1st prize with distinction, at World Band Championship competition in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. *1992 - Band wins the Norwegian national championships for fourth time. *1993 - Records its third album, its first on CD format. *1996 - Band begins a 10-year period without conductor, using various conductors on a project basis. *2002 - Band participates in the ''French Reeds Riviera Festival'' in la Croix Valmer,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. *2005 - Former conductor, Lars Kristian Brynildsen, dies. *2006 - Band wins the Norwegian national championships for fifth time, releases fourth album, ''Merit''. *2007 - Band wins the Norwegian national championships for sixth time, has over 50 members. Gary Peterson hired as

Artistic Director An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the ...

. *2007 - Former conductor, Ragnar Maalen awarded ''fortjenstmedaljen'' for service to Norwegian Music life. *2009 - Band wins the Norwegian national championships for the seventh time, celebrates 100th anniversary of ''Dragefjellets Skole Musikkorps.'' Resources:
Official Site (in Norwegian)Music Information Center Norway
* Norwegian Wind Band Championships (Norwegian Wikipedia)
History of Bergen Symphonic BandInformation on DragehyttenInformation from NMF on Ragnar Maalen (in Norwegian)Speech on Ragnar Maalen by Svein Alsaker (in Norwegian)

References

{{Authority control Norwegian musical groups Wind bands