1940’s - The Decade for Organization troops from Nazi Germany on the 9th of April 1940, the Icelandic parliament observed that the Danish king was no longer able to act as the country’s protector and watch over the Icelandic fishing grounds, as had been agreed. The Act of Union was therefore annulled. A month later the island was occupied by British troops. The allied forces did not wish to risk a German occupation of Iceland. The country could not itself prevent this or any other occupation since it possessed no armed forces then, nor does it today. The British occupation was the cause of much feverish activity in the country. Airfields, roads, bases, barracks and other types of military defences had to be built and this required a labour force. It suddenly became easy for Iceland- ers to earn ready money. The standard of living rose quickly, without doubt a paradoxical consequence of the war. In ad- dition, inflation made its entry. After a year, the British troops were required in some other part of the world and they were replaced by American troops who were to stay until the end of the war. In 1944 the Act of Union with Denmark ran out. Following a referendum concerning the future status of Iceland, the parliament, meeting at Pingvellir on June 17th, proclaimed the country a republic. Independence was also celebrated musically. There was a competition, and the prize-winning choral work of national- istic character was written by Emil Thoroddssen (1898- 1944), a man of many gifts who was also active as a play- wright, painter, and art and music critic. It has already been mentioned that Jon Leifs took the initiative in forming the Society of Icelandic composers in July 1945, within three weeks of his dramatic return from Germany (and Sweden). The society was named Tonskalda- felag Islands and its first members were Pall Isolfsson, SigurSur Forbarson, Hallgrimur Helgason, Karl O. Runolfs- son, Helgi Palsson, Ami Bjomsson, Arni Thorsteinsson, Bjorgvin GuSmundsson, and of course Jon Leifs. A year later, two new members were elected, FriSrik Bjarnason and the twenty year old Jon Nordal. The society’s first act was to prepare a “music exhibition”. It had several purposes: to turn the Icelanders’ attention to Icelandic music, to begin co- 52

(1) Front Board
(2) Front Board
(3) Front Flyleaf
(4) Front Flyleaf
(5) Front Cover
(6) Front Cover
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(191) Back Cover
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(193) Rear Flyleaf
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(195) Rear Board
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(197) Spine
(198) Fore Edge
(199) Scale
(200) Color Palette