Alice Tegnér

Alice Charlotta Tegnér (; Sandström; 12 March 1864 – 26 May 1943) was a Swedish music teacher, poet and composer. She is the foremost composer of Swedish children's songs during the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.

Background Alice Charlotta Sandström was born in Karlshamn, Sweden, the daughter of Eduard Sandström (1829–1879), a ship's captain. The family moved to Stockholm in 1877 and Alice attended Åhlinska skolan. From 1880 to 1883 Sandström attended the Royal Seminary (Högre lärarinneseminariet) in Stockholm to train as a teacher. After graduation, she worked as governess. Her first position, in Finland, lasted a year. Her second position was with the publisher in Stockholm.

In 1885, she married (1851–1926), a lawyer, and later secretary of the Swedish Publishers' Association and editor of Svenska Bokhandelstidningen. The couple moved to the new suburb of Djursholm in 1891. Alice Tegnér worked voluntarily as a teacher at Djursholms samskola and with the choir in the Djursholm chapel where Natanael Beskow was a preacher.

Tegnér also worked in such classical genres as chamber and sacred music together with choral music, cantatas, cello and violin sonatas. Her songs and compositions were inspired by both folk and art music. Her well-known hymnbook Nu ska vi sjunga, with illustrations by Elsa Beskow, was published in 1943.

Awards

1914 Litteris et Artibus 1926 member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Music (Kungliga Musikaliska akademien) 1929 First prize in the magazine Idun tonsättartävling

Selected works

Children's songs Asarumsdalen Baka kaka Borgmästar Munthe Bä, bä, vita lamm Dansa min docka Ekorrn satt i granen Hemåt i regnväder (text: Zacharias Topelius) I skogen Julbocken Kring julgranen Lasse liten (text: Zacharias Topelius) Marschlek Skogsblommorna till barnen (text: Elsa Beskow) Sockerbagare

Other songs Var är den Vän, som överallt jag söker (text: Johan Olof Wallin) Betlehems stjärna (Gläns över sjö och strand) (text: Viktor Rydberg) Hell, vårt land!

Other works Violin Sonata in A Minor