Folk music at Gripsholm Castle

Listen to whispering flutes, the buzzing hurdy-gurdy, mournful violins and rich accordion tones when the folk music band PTSG performs at Gripsholm Castle.

PTSG plays music that could be described as folk music without a specific place of origin. Much of their repertoire is original, and the inspiration for the songs comes from the musicians' diverse backgrounds. Swedish, Irish and French folk music, jazz, bluegrass and old-time, progressive hard rock and experimental music come together in an eclectic fusion. Nordic melodies are played in time signatures usually associated with the Balkans and France, while polkas are played with non-Nordic melodies.

PTSG is a band with its own distinctive style and sound that stands out amid the Swedish folk music scene. PTSG stands for 'pip, tut, skrap, gnissel', referring to the sounds of the various instruments: the flute, the accordion, the hurdy-gurdy and the violin.

Folke Dahlgren is a national folk musician specialising in the Swedish bagpipes, and has studied French bagpipe playing in France.

Alfred Gefvert has a degree in accordion playing from the Royal College of Music's folk music programme, and has studied Irish folk music in Ireland.

Bruno Andersen is one of Sweden's few professional hurdy-gurdy players, and has studied cimbalom playing in Romania.

Amy Hakanson is a national folk musician and a world master on the contrabass harp, and has an impressive history of bluegrass and old-time violin playing from her native US.

Top image: Gripsholm Castle. Photo: Dick Norberg