on the left and Hedalsfjella in the right background]]

Valdres is a traditional district in central, southern Norway, situated between Gudbrandsdal and Hallingdal.

Administratively, Valdres belongs to Oppland. It consists of the municipalities Nord-Aurdal, Sør-Aurdal, Øystre Slidre, Vestre Slidre, Vang and Etnedal. The main town in the region is Fagernes, where there also is an airport. European route E16 is the main highway, while the main rivers are Begna and Etna. The railroad connection from Oslo (Valdresbanen) was shut down in 1988, and the tracks are now removed.

Valdres is located approximately midway between Oslo and Bergen. The valley is protected to the west and north by the Jotunheimen mountains and to the south by the Gol mountain ridge. Historically, Valdres has had an agricultural economy, but tourism has grown in prominence in later years. Valdres is known for its excellent trout fishing.

Valdres March

Valdres March (Norwegian: Valdresmarsjen) is the title of a Norwegian march by Johannes Hanssen. His most famous composition, Valdresmarsjen is a march celebrating the beautiful Valdres region. The main theme is the signature fanfare for the Valdres Battalion, which is based on an ancient melody formerly played on the medieval lur, an uncoiled wooden wind instrument. The melody of the trio section derives from a fiddle tune traditional in Hardanger and a pentatonic folk tune, above a typical Norwegian drone bass line.

The name

The name is very old, and the meaning is unknown. The first element could be related to the German word Wald meaning forest, but this is uncertain.

External links

Lokalportalen for Valdres

Valdres Radio Norwegian

Fishing in Valdres

Valdresmarsjen (1904)

Valdres on Wikitravel

Category:Districts of Oppland Category:Valleys of Oppland

Johannes Hanssen (2 December 1874 in Ullensaker – 25 November 1967 in Oslo) was a Norwegian bandmaster, composer and teacher. He was bandmaster of the Oslo Military Band from 1926 to 1934 and again from 1945 to 1946. Hanssen received the King's Order of Merit in Gold and King Haakon VII's Jubilee Medal. His most famous composition is his Valdresmarsjen (1904), a march celebrating the beautiful Valdres region in Norway that lies between Oslo and Bergen. The main theme is the signature fanfare for the Valdres Battalion, which is based on an ancient melody formerly played on the medieval lur, an uncoiled wooden wind instrument. The melody of the trio section derives from a fiddle tune traditional in Hardanger and a pentatonic folk tune, above a typical Norwegian drone bass line. It was first performed in 1904 by the band of the second regiment of Norway, with the composer playing the baritone horn himself. Numerous settings for brass band exist in addition to various arrangements for concert band.

References

Windband program notes: Johannes Hanssen

More information about Valdresmarsjen

Category:Norwegian composers Category:1874 births Category:1967 deaths Category:People from Ullensaker