Oscar Ahnfelt [1]
Born(1813-05-21)May 21, 1813
Gullarp, Skåne
DiedOctober 22, 1882(1882-10-22) (aged 69)
Karlshamn, Blekinge
Occupation(s)singer, composer, publisher
SpouseClara Strömberg

Oscar Ahnfelt (1813–1882) was a Swedish singer, composer and music publisher.[2]

Biography

Ahnfelt composed the music for many of Lina Sandell's hymns. He was a pietist, who traveled all over Scandinavia, playing his 10-string guitar and singing her lyrics. The state church 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."[2] Ahnfelt sang them so much that Sandell wrote, "Ahnfelt has sung my songs into the hearts of the people."[3][4]

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) [3] and Day by day (Blott en dag).[5]

Jenny Lind, 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.[2][3]

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.[1][6]

References

  1. 1 2 Oscar Ahnfelt sv.wikipedia.org. Retrieved: May 10, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 Twice-Born Hymns by J. Irving Erickson, (Chicago: Covenant Press, 1976) page 87.
  3. 1 2 3 The Story of Our Hymns by Ernest Edwin Ryden (Rock Island, IL: Augustana Book Concern, 1930) pp. 176–180.
  4. ↑ Oscar Ahnfelt hymntime.com. Retrieved: May 10, 2013.
  5. ↑ Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions google. com. Retrieved: January 6, 2013
  6. ↑ Jag är främling sv.wikipedia.org. Retrieved: May 10, 2013.
Andeliga Sånger 1860

Photos

Swedish and English lyrics

Discographies

Streaming audio

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