Joen Waagstein (1879-1949)

Teacher and pioneer in Faroese music, art and sports. Jógvan studied drawing and music abroad. He graduated as a teacher in 1902 and set a wealth of Faroese poems to music. He also took the initiative to the songbook used in Faroese schools Songbók Føroya skúla.

Jógvan and Sanna Waagstein. Source: The National Museum of the Faroe Islands.

The teacher and composer Jógvan Waagstein died on Thursday evening 15^th December 1949 at the hospital in Tórshavn aged 70. Illness had forced him to stop teaching a few years earlier. He taught at the municipal primary and secondary school for over 30 years, and at the Faroese School of Education for over 40 years. William Heinesen wrote about Waagstein that: ‘He dreamt of studying art in Copenhagen, but his father did not believe this could lead to any acceptable career.’ His father was also a teacher before going into commerce.

In 1898 Jógvan Waagstein enrolled at Jonstrup seminarium in Denmark, where he received instruction in drawing and music. This equipped him with greater knowledge of these subjects than other Faroese teachers in his time.

It was said that when you talked to him education, singing and melodies were at the forefront of his mind. He took the initiative to creating the Faroese school songbook Songbók Føroya skúla. In addition, he collected and noted down old Kingo melodies and composed new music for Faroese poems by authors such as Hans Andrias Djurhuus and Janus Djurhuus. His long-form compositions include the Ólavsøkukantata from 1930. In 1925 he became one of the founders of the Tórshavn song association Havnar Sangfelag. Several of his pieces were printed by music publishers, particularly Wilhelm Hansens musikforlag in Copenhagen.

Jógvan was also a well known artist. The politician Knút Wang writes in his eulogy: ‘J. Waagstein was a pioneer of music and gymnastics, … His love of painting was probably second only to his love of song and music, …’ He was among the first Faroese landscape painters, and had his pictures exhibited abroad.

Jógvan also developed gymnastics in Tórshavn. In its obituary on 17^th December the paper Tingakrossur writes: ‘In parallel with his teaching, Waagstein, carried out major work among youth. He laid the foundation for gymnastics sports in town and was the long-standing instructor of the local sports association.’

In 1942 he became honorary member of The Faroese Confederation of Sports. His family was from Klaksvík, but he moved to Tórshavn in 1900.

Sources:

Føroysk sangløg. In: Tingakrossur, 15^th August 1934. Tórshavn.

Heinesen, William: Joen Waagstein i Dansk Biografisk Leksikon på lex.dk. Last visited on 31^st October 2024 https://biografiskleksikon.lex.dk/Joen_Waagstein.

Jógvan Waagstein. In: Tingakrossur 17^th December 1949. Tórshavn.

J. Waagstein 70 ár. In: 14. September 1^st September 1949. Tórshavn.

J. Waagstein deyður. In: Føroya social-demokrati 17^th December 1949. Tórshavn.

J. Waagstein død. In: Tingakrossur 17^th December 1949. Tórshavn.

Knút Wang. J. Waagstein f. 4/9 1879 – d. 15/12 1949. In: Dagblaðið 20^th December 1949. Tórshavn.

Lærari. Jógvan Waagstein 70 ár. In: Skúlablaðið December, 1949. Tórshavn.