”Alltihopa har ju strängt taget varit en sorts fortbildning för mig hela tiden”

Torgny Erséus genom fem decennier

Abstract

Torgny Erséus (1934–2020) was a central figure in hymnody and hymnology within Swedish Church music at large, and especially within Svenska missionsförbundet (a free church with lutheran roots), one of the largest of the free church denominations. Erséus was active as publisher, editor, musician, teacher, composer and adaptor of hymns that lacked melodies or where melodies were deemed less suited for singing. His many and varied activites seem to parallel those of Harald Göransson (1917–2004) in the Swedish hymnal, and the two did indeed cooperate in the project ”Sampsalm” and other endeavors. This study constitutes at the same time an analytical study of Erséus’ ideals and practices, and a prism through which the development of musical infrastructures and the state of hymnody in the free (non-State Church) Christian denominations may be studied.