Oscar Ahnfelt (1813–1882) was a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

singer, composer and music publisher.''Twice-Born Hymns'' by J. Irving Erickson, (Chicago: Covenant Press, 1976) page 87.

Biography

Ahnfelt composed the music for many of Lina Sandell's hymns. He was a pietist, who traveled all over

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

, playing his 10-string guitar and singing her lyrics. The

state church A state religion (also called religious state or official religion) is a religion or creed officially endorsed by a sovereign state. A state with an official religion (also known as confessional state), while not secular, is not necessarily a t ...

authorities did not like pietistic hymns and, anticipating a royal injunction against the singing of Sandell's songs, ordered Ahnfelt to sing them before King Karl XV. But after hearing them, the King announced to Ahnfelt, "You may sing as much as you desire in both of my kingdoms." Ahnfelt sang them so much that Sandell wrote, "Ahnfelt has sung my songs into the hearts of the people."''The Story of Our Hymns'' by Ernest Edwin Ryden (Rock Island, IL: Augustana Book Concern, 1930) pp. 176–180. Sandell–Ahnfelt hymns have spread throughout the world. Two of the best-known ones in English are ''Children of the Heavenly Father'' (Tryggare kan ingen vara) and ''Day by day'' (Blott en dag).

Jenny Lind Johanna Maria "Jenny" Lind (6 October 18202 November 1887) was a Swedish opera singer, often called the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she performed in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and a ...

, known worldwide as the "Swedish Nightingale", was also a pietist and popularized Sandell's hymns in the United States and wherever she sang. She additionally helped finance Ahnfelt's ''Andeliga Sånger'' (Sacred Songs), first published in 1850. Ahnfelt died October 22, 1882, in Karlshamn, Blekinge. He is buried in Hvilans Kyrkogård (Hvilans Cemetery) in Karlshamn.

Selected hymns

The following hymns have melodies composed by Oscar Ahnfelt. Jag är främling ''sv.wikipedia.org''. Retrieved: May 10, 2013. * ''Blott en dag:'' lyrics by

Lina Sandell Lina Sandell (full name: Karolina Wilhelmina Sandell-Berg) (3 October 1832 – 27 July 1903) was a Swedish poet and author of gospel hymns. Background The daughter of a Lutheran minister, Sandell grew up in the rectory at Fröderyd parish in t ...

* ''Guds barn jag är:'' lyrics by Carl Olof Rosenius * ''Herrens nåd är var morgon ny:'' lyrics by

* ''I en djup, oändlig skog:'' lyrics by Carl Olof Rosenius * ''Jag är främling:'' lyrics by Betty Ehrenborg and Carl Olof Rosenius. * ''Tänk, när en gång det töcken har försvunnit:'' lyrics by Carl Olof Rosenius * ''Ängsliga hjärta:'' lyrics by Carl Olof Rosenius * ''Är det sant att Jesus är min broder:'' lyrics by

References

National Library of Sweden The National Library of Sweden ( sv, Kungliga biblioteket, ''KB'', meaning "the Royal Library") is Sweden's national library. It collects and preserves all domestic printed and audio-visual materials in Swedish, as well as content with Swedish ...

Streaming audio
Lina Sandell and Oscar Ahnfelt
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahnfelt, Oscar 1813 births 1882 deaths People from Eslöv Municipality Swedish composers Swedish male composers Swedish evangelicals Swedish Lutherans 19th-century composers 19th-century Swedish male musicians 19th-century Lutherans

Biography

Selected hymns

References

External links