Øvre Eiker: – ” Hi, my name is Alexander Rybak. What are your names? I will count to three and then আপনি say your names. One, two, three…”

330 pupils from Vestfossen Children-school shout their names as loud as they can from the tribune-seats at Vestfossen Flerbrukshall.

” Very good! Now we know eachother!” – says Rybak.

It is Tuesday morning and expectant school-children, who have all brougt a pen and paper, hoping for an autograph, will get a small taste of wednesdays সঙ্গীতানুষ্ঠান with Eiker Stringorchestra and Vestfossen girls- and boy-chorps. And of course the main character – Alexander Rybak.

'Spooky'

“I have wished to get the chance to play with him some day” – says Vanessa Cameren(9)” And now I get it”, smiles the young violinist, who is one of 60 young musicians and majorettes who will give সঙ্গীতানুষ্ঠান this evening in the sportshall.

Hedda Berglien (7) has seen Rybak on TV, and finds it very cool to get to play with him. She has played some concerts before, but thinks it is a little spooky to perform for such a large audience. Cameren thinks the same: “I am really scared” – she says.

Tobias Andre Nilsen (7) thinks that right now, it is all a bit exhausting. Together with the other musicians, he has been at the hall since half past ten and it is soon afternoon now. They have already managed to rehearse for some hours but they are not done yet. The seven-year-old admits, that it is a bit difficult to play violin, but he hopes to become as good as Rybak some day. ” But I dont want to be a celebrity”, he says.

'Rockstar'

The main-character himself has got well accustomed with life as celebrity and used to having to reject flocks of young autograph-hunters. Upfront on stage, he demonstrates for the young string-players, how they can make their movements bigger.

“Think about, that আপনি should be a little bit like rockstars” he says to the children.

To us, he says that the most important thing is the joy.

Rybak has several times arranged his songs for string-orchestras at youth-schools and higher levels. He has not done it often at children-school level but he does it with joy. “Here, it is really about having a good time”, he says.

'Fairytale'

The সঙ্গীতানুষ্ঠান of Tuesday could be seen as a small general rehearsal, cause it is wednesday evening, that really matters. They will hear “Fairytale” among other songs, with Rybaks band in co-play with the young musician-sprouts.

প্রবন্ধ is found here: link