THE SOUND OF DANISH CHRISTMAS!

Then the trio Gangspil – Lydom, Bugge & Høirup are getting ready for the year's fourth and final tour in the USA, which will take place from November 28 to December 4.

I am now leaving a few days earlier to spend time in Oregon and Seattle, together with my good friend, the violinist Ruthie Dornfeld, and her family, whom I have come to know well over the years. Ruthie and I have known each other since the early 80s, when we started ACO together (American Café Orchestra), with whom we toured in Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Finland and the USA.

On November 28, Kristian and Sonnich arrive in Seattle, and that means we are ready for our first American Christmas tour.

The tour starts in Poulsbo Washington and ends in Portland, Oregon, where the loved ones Scandies flock to the popular Scandinavian Christmas fair, ScanFair 2016.

But first we have to visit the state of Washington where we play and teach traditional Danish music and dance at Sons of Norway in Poulsbo. In the city of Olympia, we give a concert in the Traditions Café, and it will also be shown at a single concert in Seattle, I understand.

On the way around, we will also take a short trip north to Canada and help spread real Danish Christmas cheer at The Danish Lutheran Church of Vancouver, where the Danish pastor Birgitte Saltorp folds its folds.

But as I said, we end at the Scandinavian Christmas market, ScanFair 2016, in Portland Oregon, with music and Christmas cheer on the days 3 and 4 December, before we travel home to Denmark on 5 December.

At ScanFair, we play four concerts in a lovely mix of happy and Christmas-minded people and traditional Scandinavian dishes, such as kjøttbullar, lutfisk, apple slices and "Meat-Easter-Pearls" - try pronouncing the three words yourself in quick succession and you'll know what I'm talking about - and lots of more or less homemade crafts and other goodies.

Perhaps I should just add that our new album, Gangspil, with traditional Danish music arranged for accordion, harmonica, violin, guitar and song, is excellent as this year's Christmas present for family and friends.

But all in all, I'm actually quite sure that the Christmas spirit will come particularly early to Frederiksberg this year – anything else would be strange!

Look more at www.trad.dk