Peter was the main attraction at a very important reception in
Philadelphia. Sweden's Minister of Justice, Thomas Bodström was the
special guest at the 14th World Congress of Criminology at the Irvine
Auditorium of the University of Pennsylvania. The Swedish Museum
hosted the event.
Here's an attempt to show what the inside of the hall looked like:

Peter gets ready. He's cool as a cucumber. Professional and "just
doing what I do" ...

The hall fills up with Congress participants from all over the world,
the blond lady smiling in the middle for instance is a professor of
Criminal law from Turkey.

The dignitaries all sat on the stage. Here they are applauding as
Peter is introduced.

Peter performed exquisitely!!! He charmed the whole house and
introduced the nyckelharpa to hundreds of persons who would never
ever encounter the instrument otherwise. He played five or six tunes
and spoke a bit before each one. I was so proud, I was almost busting
at the seams, plus my cheeks hurt from smiling so hard!

After Peter came the main attraction, Minister Bodström ...

Here we are at the reception afterwards. Peter on the left. Suzanne
McMurphy on the right is the director of the Swedish Museum in
Philadelphia and the gentleman next to Peter is her husband. The
distinguished gentleman in a beard is the Consul General of Sweden,
Mr. Kjell Anneling stationed in New York.

And here is a picture of Peter and me just to prove that I was there too.

This was an extraordinary event! I really had no idea how big a deal
it was when I set it up with Suzanne at the Museum, but oh my
goodness, what a showcase for the nyckelharpa!! A whole long row of
dignitaries and academics came up and thanked Peter for coming and
saying that is was the best thing at the whole Congress and giving
Peter their business cards and saying you must come to South Africa,
to Venezuela, to Florida (!), to Turkey ... lucky thing that I had
just made up some business cards for Peter that morning so he could
give them a card in return.
This was the first time I witnessed Peter perform in this sort of
very formal and dignified situation. He was unbelievably cool, calm
and collected, didn't miss a beat, charmed everyone with grace, bowed
humbly at the appropriate moments, and had to come back out on stage
for the audience wouldn't stop clapping. What an ambassador! Peter
won many new friends for Sweden and the nyckelharpa last night.
This evening, the Lahaska Workshop/stämma starts. I have to cook all
weekend.
Rita

To Part 6