Hans Jacob Højgaard
Hans Jacob Højgaard (11 September 1904, Toftir, Faroe Islands – 10 June 1992 Tórshavn Faroe Islands), was one of the most productive composers in the Faroe Islands in the 20th century. At the age of 15 years he went to sea like most Faroese did and sailed with fishing boats for four years and took a compulsory exam in Torshavn in 1923. In 1924, he went to Denmark where he attended Karise Folk High School and in 1929 he received a teaching degree from Jonstrup's Seminar. He then returned to his birthplace, Toftir, where he was an assistant teacher from 1929 to 1931, secondary teacher from 1931 to 1933, and school director from 1934 to 1953.
Højgaard had been a choir in Toftir and Torshavn and has composed numerous Faroese songs and hymns. Højgaard's great significance for Faroese music life is partly due to the skill and stimulating enthusiasm with which he as a teacher and choreographer has continued and refined the korsang tradition that existed before the time in the Faroe Islands, and his lush business as a song composer. Højgaard's songs are distinguished by their fresh and uromantical singability as well as their originality. They have their own style that often brings memories of the peculiar tones that characterize the old Faroese quadrals and hymns.
He was an honorary member of Harbors Song Event in 1978.
Works
- 1951 - Føroysk Songløg I (Faroese Trad. Music Tunebook)
- 1977 - Føroysk Songløg II (Faroese Trad. Music Tunebook)
Music
- 1976 - LP: "Í hesi sælu jólatíð", (Faroese Christmas Carols, HJH directing his own Melodies/Compositions), HCW TÓRGARÐ
- 2003 - CD: "Í hesi sælu jólatíð", (Faroese Christmas Carols, HJH directing his own Melodies/Compositions), HCW TÓRGARÐ
- 2003 - CD: Komponisten Hans Jákup Højgaard, musikeksempel, (Musical examples of HJH Compositions) RAES, Faroese Radio
- 2004 - CD: Hans Jacob Højgaard 100 ár, (100-Year Anniversary) TUTL
Literature
- S. Anderssohn: Komponisten Hans Jákup Højgaard, et liv som traditionsbærer, nyskaber og lærer, Research Archive for Ethnomusicological Studies [RAES], Arendal 2003 (Danish)