Carl-Erics Gånglåt
This is a rousing gånglåt (walking tune) from the very south of Sweden, the province of Skåne. It was composed in 1926 by Carl-Eric Berndt, a master of the wooden-shoe fiddle. It was adopted by the Skåne fiddlers’ association, and is almost always played at official events in Skåne.
The Wooden Shoe Fiddle is an instrument peculiar to Skåne. Because the land is so good for agriculture, there is llittle forest area, so not much wood available locally for woodworkers.
There are peat bogs in Skåne that provide peat for burning, but the ground is soft and marshy. Wooden shoes were the common footwear of farmers until modern times.
When a pair of wooden shoes wore out, a violinmaker would often obtain one, and make it into a playable fiddle.
To the left is a picture of a traditional wooden-shoe fiddle being played.
Here is a YouTube video of a Skåne fiddlers’ team playing several tunes, including Carl-Erics Gånglåt. You can hear them play it at 28:05 on the video.