The Folk High School Songbook

Højskolesangbogen, The Folk High School Songbook, is the most popular songbook in Denmark. The songs in the book are a mix between translated Danish folksongs and hymns. With the first edition published in 1888 and the latest in 2006 including 572 songs, it is at the centre of the Danes’ strong tradition for communal singing. Besides singing together at celebratory events like parties, midsummer and Christmas, it has proved to be important during challenging times. During the German occupation of Denmark from 1940 – 1945, singing played a big part in keeping a sense of national solidarity, and during the COVID-19 pandemic a fifth of Denmark’s population have tuned in to DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation) for a daily sing-along.  

If you want to get a taste of the Danes singing traditions, a leaflet of 24 songs has been translated in to English with the title Singalongs, Folk Songs and Hymns so you can now take part in the long-standing tradition of Danish communal singing https://webshop.hojskolerne.dk/shop/singalongs-folk-songs-315p.html.