Historically about the game
THE AUTHOR OLAV GULLVÅG
The sogespelet I have written for Verdalen were Olav Gullvåg's words when he entrusted the story of the journey to Saint Olav after Verdalen in the year 1030. The people of Verdø have the right to perform the play without a fee to me, said the idealist Olav Gullvåg when he gave the script to the inhabitants of Verdal . Gullvåg has shown a strong personal interest in sogemotif, and he has obtained good literary results from historical subjects.
Soge author
The first theater winner won Gullvåg in 1925 with the shoe game The long night. But it was still with the novel A wild night began that he really broke through as a poet. With this and the two following; The King's Grace og The Crescent Blower he won a wide readership, not only in Norway, but even more so in Denmark, Germany and several other countries. Gullvåg won a competition in connection with the celebration of Olav's jubilee in 1930, with Home journey, for which Irgens Jensen has provided music. There is a clear line from this cantata to the Game of Saint Olav. Olav Gullvåg was born in Trondheim in 1885, and grew up in Klæbu. He started his professional career as a clerk. Later he became a journalist and editor of Norway og Gula Tidend. From 1929 he made a living as an author. He died in 1961.



THE COMPOSER PAUL OKKENHAUG
Paul Okkenhaug is best known for the music for The Play about Saint Olav, but has also written orchestral works, chamber music, romances and songs for choir, compositions for organ and piano, and theater music. Much work and many joys; this is how he characterized the work with the music for the Play about Saint Olav. The music was originally written for symphony orchestra and performed by Inntrøndelag Symphony Orchestra. In 1955, the music was reworked for wind instruments and performed by Divisjonsmusikken. In 1960, an amateur orchestra was put together to power the music, thanks to a great effort by conductor Einar Krokstad. Stylistically, Okkenhaug's music is characterized as late romantic, with national and certain impressionistic features.
In addition to being a composer, he was also an organist. He also collected traditional music from the district, and he was an important driver and inspiration for musical life in the region. Paul Okkenhaug studied at the Oslo Conservatory of Music. He took an organist exam in 1927, and an organ teaching exam in 1939. From 1930 he worked as an organist in Nidaros Cathedral for several periods. In 1948 he was appointed organist in Levanger and Okkenhaug. Paul Okkenhaug died in 1975. He was 67 years old. Much of his music has been published by Norsk Musikkforlag in the collection Paul Okkenhaug: From Koral to Barcarole, tones through the 50s year in 2000.
LENSMAN JON SUUL
Constable Jon Suul was the initiator The game about Saint Olav. The original idea was to create a border poll in Sul. These plans were changed, largely because the polling place at Stiklestad with an open-air scene became a reality. Instead, we got an Olsok festival play in Stiklestad, with its premiere on 29 July 1954. The recording took place just after the war, when Jon Suul contacted Olav Gullvåg and Paul Okkenhaug, and presented them with the idea of a border poll.
Gullvåg was busy at the time, and he was also skeptical of the idea. But in the autumn of 1950, he took up the pen and began to write what would develop into The Game about Saint Olav. At the end of 1952, there was a script with the title Last night on Sul. The idea of a party play linked to Olsok and performed at the new polling place in Stiklestad took shape. The plans for a border theme were abandoned, and Gullvåg revised the script somewhat on this basis. The title was changed to Lead the battle. Now we know this piece as The game about Saint Olav. Jon Suul was honored with the King's Most Valuable Medal in gold in 1954.