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Difficult as it might have been seeing Bendik Adamiak-Husby, 7, his sister, Mali, 8, and brother Rasmus, 6, show a flair for their deceased father’s diverse musical talents, the moment was meant to celebrate of the future, not mourn for what the three children have lost.
The children of Atle Husby, 42, one of two people killed in the Dec. 19 avalanche, were among the featured performers at a free “A Tribute to Solidarity” gala at 7 p.m. Thursday at Kulturhuset. The evening was dedicated to those in Longyearbyen affected by the historic catastrophe that destroyed 11 homes and inflicted an enormous psychological scar upon the community.
“We obviously let the family know we were planning to do the show,” said Roger Zahl Ødegård, the city’s chief cultural advisor. “We contacted them and they took the initiative to have the children perform.”
All have appeared on stage before, with Bendik at times showing his father’s versatility by playing multiple instruments during a single song. The elder son played violin, Mali sang and Rasmus played percussion “Auld Lang Song” to open the show.
The rest of the evening featured a mix of music, speeches and poetry, with most of the music lineup consisting of bands Atle Husby performed in.
“It’s a tribute to all who have contributed to help and how we stood together,” said Roger Zahl Ødegård, the city’s chief cultural advisor. “It’s not a memorial.”
City leaders first discussed the show in early January, but the event took place this week because residents might have be more ready for it, Ødegård said.
“Now some time has gone by and we have some distance from this catastrophe and can see a little bit forward,” he said.
Besides the performance by Husby’s children – with help from Elise Strømseng, Liv Mari Schei and Espen Rotevatn – other musical performances include the Store Norske Men’s Choir, Longyearbyen Big Band and Blåmyra.
“Atle was in all those bands,” Ødegåard said.
The seats in Kulturhuset were folded and a free buffet set up on the open floor, with the show pausing a few times to allow the audience to mingle.
