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The Brothers Moberg

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The Brothers Moberg
BornHarry: (1915-03-05)March 5, 1915, Sandviken
Valter: (1915-03-05)March 5, 1915, Sandviken
DiedHarry: March 15, 1992(1992-03-15) (aged 77)
Valter: December 21, 2006(2006-12-21) (aged 91)
NationalitySwedish
Other namesBröderna Moberg
OccupationOrgan Builders
Known forRestoration work on historical organs

Harry and Valter Moberg were twin brothers that specialized in the construction and restoration of old organs in churches across Scandinavia.

Background

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The twin brothers were born in Sandviken, Sweden on March 5, 1915. Their parents, Engelbert and Alida Moberg, had musical interests and played a variety of instruments. Their older sibling Elsa, an educated pianist, was married to violinist John Vesterlund, who began organ building in the 1930s and allowed the Moberg brothers to learn from him. In 1933, Vesterlund's company began restoration work on an organ in Løvstabruk, built by Johan Niclas Cahman in 1728. The experience influenced the brothers' interest in historical organs. They met the organ historians Bertil Wester and later Einar Erici who were particularly interested in the mapping of old organs in Sweden.

The Moberg brothers started their own organ building company in 1941, becoming pioneers in restoring organs with historic value in Sweden. There were about 4000 organs in Sweden by 1950 having grown from 30 when record keeping began in the 1600s,[1] 200 of which were classified as historically valuable by the Swedish National Heritage Board. With their co-worker Ville Pettersson, they have restored about 90 historical organs across Scandinavia together. Among their most famous works is the restoration of the organ at Åtvid's old church built by Jonas Wistenius in 1751, which was reconstructed to 70 percent. Albert Schweitzer has played on the restored organ and expressed his opinion positively about the reconstruction. The organ in Seglora church in Skansen, Stockholm was restored in 1963. The organ was built by Jonas Ekengren in 1777. The organ in Tjällmo church, built by Isac Risberg 1710, was restored in 1968.

The brothers recorded the sound of several historic organs and filmed several of their restorations.[2] They also published articles in Church Musicians Magazine and Organ forums.

The work of the Moberg brothers was carried out on the basis of their conservation idea: "The purpose of preserving old church organs is to produce a complete line of organs from past time, where each preserved organ work must be a silent representative of its era and show as much as possible its master's personal and artistic characteristic, such as they were at the time of construction."

They documented all of their restorations and other major works with photographs and explanatory text about the performed works.

Their archives are currently available at the Swedish National Heritage Board in Stockholm.

Works

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The façade of the Risberg organ in Tjällmo.

Sweden

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Hjälmseryd
Söderbärke
The Old Organ in Aatvidaberg
Location Year Constructed by
Alvesta Church 1964 Pehr Schiörlin (1778)
Angarn Church 1970 Pehr Strand (1849)
Asks Church 1950 Olof Hammarberg (1929)
Avesta Church 1989 A Magnussons Orgelbryggeri (1938)
Balingsta Church 1974 Åkerman & Lund (1898)
Björskog Church 1988 Eskil Lundén (1914)
Bladåker Church 1952 Johan Lambert Larsson (1842)
Botilsäter Church 1974 A P Lokrantz (1921)(facade from 1882)
Brunnby Church 1980 Setterquist & Son 1912
Bäckebo (Uppland) 1952 Johannes Magnusson 1848
Bälinge Church, Uppland 1955 Eisenmenger & Herman 1632.
Facade by Mårten Redtmer who decorated the Vasa
Böhmiska positivitet, Music and Theater Museum, Stockholm 1964 Anton Streit (ca. 1700)
Börje Church 1958 Daniel Wallenström (1856)
Djursdala Church 1965 Anders Jonsson 1841
Removal of crescendo cabinet
Edebo Church (Stockholm Municipality) 1951 och 1983 Built after recommendation by Berg in Alunda.
Removed 1926, reinstated 1951 in its original state by the Moberg brothers.
Old Church of Enviken 1950 Gustaf Wilhelm Becker (1872)
Eskilsäters Church 1949 Johan Everhardt Jr (1820)
Flisby Church 1974 Sven Nordström 1856
Folkströms Chapel (Hällestads Parish) 1953 Johan Agerwall (1700)
Folkärna Church 1984 Johannes Magnusson 1931
Facade from 1853
Forssa Church (Södermanland) 1984 Setterquist & Son 1879
Gammalkils Church 1975 Pehr Schiörlin 1806 (Albert Schweitzer played the organ)
Garpenbergs Church 1969 Setterquist & Son 1904
(Organ above the altar)
Grythyttans Church 1987 Setterquist & Son 1904.
Facade from1780
Trinity Church Gävle 1955 Setterquist & Son 1889, John Vesterlund 1939
Vasa School, Gävle 1983 Pehr Larsson Åkerman 1876
Immanuel Church, Gävle 1962 E H Eriksson 1906
Soldiers Church, Gävle 1984 E H Eriksson (1918)
Harakers Church 1967 Pehr Lund (1930)
Hjälmseryds Old Church 1953 Johannes Magnusson 1850~
Häradshammars Church 1954 Jonas Fredric Schiörlin 1821
Jättendals Church 1963 Lars Niclas Nordquist 1839
Trinity Church, Karlskrona 1961-1962 Pehr Zacharias Strand (1827)
Kristinehamns Church 1982 Setterquist & Son (1921) (Facade from 1858)
Kuddby Church 1954-1955 Sven & Erik Nordström (1882)
Kvarsebo Church 1949, 1974 Johan Lund (1852)
Lannaskede Old Church 1952 Lars Solberg (1734)
Linköping Cathedral 1975-1976 Setterquist & Son (1929) (Facade from 1723)
Långseruds Church 1982 Eskil Lundén (1917)
Njutångers Church 1940~ Th J Trayser XXXX harmonium
Normlösa Church 1954 Sven Nordström (1854)
Norra Solberga Church 1972 Nils Ahlstrand (1836)
Nyeds Church 1955-1956 Elias Witting (1707 Choir Organ)
Nysätra Church, Uppland 1973 Per Gullbergsson & Jonas Wengström (1839)
Oslättfors Chapel 1961 Brothers Moberg (1944)
Rasbokil Church 1971 Pehr Zacharias Strand (1829)
Rönö Church 1975 Gustaf Andersson & Son (1855)
Sandviken Baptist Church 1977-1978 Olof Hedlund (1739)
Sandvik Church 1976 Åkerman & Lund (1931)
Seglora Church, Skansen, Stockholm 1962-1963 Jonas Ekengren (1778)
Skirö Church 1961 Johannes Magnusson (1857)
Skällvik Church 1964 Jonas Wistenius (1762)
Snavlunda Church 1980 Åkerman & Lund (1943)
Svartnäs Church 1956 Jonas Wängström (1848)
Svinnegarns Church 1957 Carl Wåhlström 1769
Svärdsjö Church 1964 Åkerman & Lund (1943) Facade from 1738
Sätra brunn Church 1953 Daniel Wallenström (1867)
Söderbärke Church 1956 Niclas Furtwängler & Hammer (1923) (facade from 1738)
Söderbärke Church 1956 Niclas Söderström (1795)
Teda Church 1949 Pehr Niclas Forssberg (1785)
Tjällmo Church 1968 - 1969 Isac Risberg (1710)
Trönö Old Church 1968 P Z Strand 1800 (Pehr Zacharias Strand)
Trönö New Church 1971 Åkerman & Lund (1895)
Tåby Church 1954 Sven Nordström (1847)
Ulrika Church 1970 Johan Niclas Cahman (1734)
Utö Church 1972 Olof Hedlund (1745)
Vallerstads Church 1950 Nils Ahlstrand (1841)
Valö Church 1971 Gustaf Andersson (1831)
Venjans Church 1990 Setterquist & Son (1917)
Virestad organ in Smålands museum, Växjö 1953 Hans Heinrich Cahman (1690)
Voxna Church 1988 Setterquist & Son (1888)
Voxtorps Church, Jönköping 1959 Johan Nikolaus Söderling (1852)
Vårdinge Church 1979 Setterquist & Son (1938) (facade from 1844)
Värmskogs Church 1959-1960 E A Setterquist (1857)
Värmskogs Parish House 1961 Nyströms harmonium (1869)
Västra Eneby Church 1975 Sven Nordström (1850)
Yxnerums Church 1959 C M Ringström (1826. Inspection and removal of crescendo cabinet)
Åtvids Old Church 1957 Jonas Wistenius (1751) (Reconstruction. Albert Schweitzer has played on the organ)
Österfärnebo Church 1973 E H Eriksson (1906)
Östervik Chapel, Kristinehamn 1973 Th J Trayser (1872 harmonium)
Östra Ryds Church, Östergötland 1966 Lars Strömblad (1777, reconstruction)
Östra Skrukeby Church 1963 Pehr Schiörlin (1794)
Östra Ämterviks Church 1971 Andreas Jönsson (1847)

Norway

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Location Year Constructed by
First Methodist Church (Oslo) 1987 Jörgensen Orgelfabrik 1920
Tvedestrand 1983 Olsen & Jörgensen (1920~)
Tylldalen 1982 (German Firm, 1920~)

Finland

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Location Year Constructed by
Nagu 1977 Olof Schwan (1791)
Nystad 1978 Marcussen & Son (1865)

Constructions

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Location Year Notes
Faringe Church 1943
Gävle, Bomhus 1957
Swedish Order of Freemasons, Gävle 1957
Oslättsfors Chapel 1944
Saint Anna 1944 Built together with John Vesterlund under the same company name AB Kyrkorglar
Uppsala Public School Seminarium 1947 Initiated by Oskar Sundström in 1946 and completed by the Brothers Moberg in 1947

Films

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Location Year Notes
Seglora Church, Skansen, Stockholm 1963
Tjällmo[3] 1969

Sound Recordings

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Location Year Notes
Tjällmo 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971
Brunnby
Hedlund Organ in Sandviken Inauguration [4] 1979
Åtvid Old Church 1957
Skällvik 1969
Jonsered Unknown
Sandviken Church Radio Recordings Unknown
Häradshammar Folkström Chapel Unknown
Jonsberg Unknown
Haraker 1961
Alvesta Unknown
Karlskrona Trinity Church Unknown

References

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  1. ^ Swedish National Heritage Board, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Statistics_on_Swedish_Orgels.jpg
  2. ^ The Brothers Moberg Seglora Film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKD_ZoPzzlU
  3. ^ "Tvillingarna och orgelbyggarna Moberg - Restaureringen av Tjällmoorgeln 1968" (in Swedish). Riksantikvarieämbetet. 25 November 2016.
  4. ^ Inauguration concert by Gotthard Arnér after restoration by the Brothers Moberg of the Hedlund organ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8iDjBIMcgI