2OslO

Dedicated to our beloved Messageboard member Tore, who passed away in July 2009.

We invite all of you who wish to give a public tribute to our friend Tore (be it words, poems or video links) to send us at: fortore@escnation.com and we will post it here as soon as possible.

At this opportunity we wish to express our deepest condolences to Tore's family and friends from near and far.

My name is Helge and I lived with Tore for almost 20 years. I am very grateful for this site you have made to honor the memory of Tore. I have also taken a print-out of the contributions and have given it to Tores mother and father. Now that Tore is gone, it is comforting to us to know how he will continue to live on in the memories of those who came in contact with him in one way or another. Even if these memories cannot replace Tore, they do help. So thanks, all of you who made this site a reality.

We tried to design Tores funeral in the spirit of Tore. There were no priests, as Tore did not symphatize with the church and was not a religious person. “I believe in the goodness of human beings,” he once told his mother. During the seremony we played Eagle by ABBA and Nocturne by Secret Garden,among other songs, to honor his specific interest for music.

Helge, Tores boyfriend

Kind people of ESC:

This site and all your warmhearted greetings was referred to at Tores beautiful and incredibly sad funeral in Oslo, last Tuesday. As a close friend of Tore, I can hardly express how it warms my mourning soul to see the effort and consideration you put down in words: The surprisingly apt descriptions of his character… and all the respect and love for the great person Tore was.

Each one of you has made the darkest days a tiny bit brighter….



Jacob Calmeyer, Oslo

This is such sad news. I never met you in person but your messages made me laugh.
I wish your family and friends hope in this sad time and you happiness wherever you are.
Karl (Cork, Ireland)
:(

Tore,
Despite never getting the chance to meet you in person, I always enjoyed your company and contributions on the message board.
You always seemed cheerful and level-headed and very proud of Norway's fabulous Eurovision entries.

Vi har våre minner, de vil aldri dø
Nå er tiden inne til å si adieu

I'll miss you, but I hope you're happy and at peace where you are now.
Adieu
Noel (Ireland / Germany)

Chi siamo noi, buttati via, in questa immensa e disperata rapsodia?

Boog (Italy / Scotland)

Hallo Tore

still can't beleive that you left,

I hope you are well where you are...

You will be missed

CostasP (Cyprus)

Tore,

Wherever you are, I hope good music is around you as you enjoyed it so much.

And maybe this late great lady will be there, too and sing this song I'm sending you.



Love,

Thomas (Germany)

Tore,

Your pleasant personality will be missed on the MB.

Terje (Amutrejk), Oslo

Tore,

You were a beacon of warmth and good humour on the messageboard, as well as knowledge and wisdom. Your passing is a huge loss to us all. May you Rest In Peace.

Daniel Gould
ThePunter

Tore

Sad to know that you are not with us anymore. My condolences to his family and friends. The things I remember the most (and will miss) from the messageboard was when we compared predictions on how things were gonna happen in semis and the final. And you were more right than me on most occations...

Tor-Eirik, Norway

Tore,

Thanks for norwegian news related to Eurovision during the years

Vila i frid

www.escsweden.com team

Tore

Many thanks for all your positivity, your genuine friendliness and your good sense attitude.

I will treasure the CDs and DVDs you very kindly sent me from Norway and elsewhere, we shared so much in music tastes.

A poem for those who mourn this very special man:

I Did Not Die
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow;
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain;
I am the gentle Autumn's rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush.
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft star that shines at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there;
I did not die.


And my favourite Norwegian ESC song which will always remind me of you:



RIP Tore
Julie, Cambridge, UK
XX

Dear Tore,

it's not often that I'm lost for words, but I guess I am now.

Rest in peace and find happiness, wherever you are, for always.

Frank (Belgium)

R.I.P., dear Tore!

The news took me by surprise, as I hadn't been on the board these last days. It is indeed sad that you left us so suddenly. I didn't know you personally (as happens with most of the MBers), so all I can give to you, as a gift for your journey, is a song. I was actually very torn, but in the end I decided to dedicate to you one of the songs that always make me cry. It's called "Hear you me" and it's sung by Jimmy Eat World. Take care and always be happy!!!! :)

"a song for a heart so big, God couldn't let it live"



John the Slo, from Greece

This is for Tore, my friend who died long before his time on earth was due. There are some people that touch you just by being, and the essence of Tore will always be a part of us who got to know him. This is a little poem I have translated from Norwegian which is a favourite of mine.


I hold your head
In my hands, like you hold
My heart in your tenderness
Like everything is being held
By something else than itself

Like the sea lifts a rock
To its beaches
Like the tree
Holds the fruits of autumn
We are all being held
By something else than ourselves


Rest in peace now Tore and watch over us.

Your friend Thor Kristian

It's so sad that you are gone, Tore. You will be missed by all of us. Your always positive, enthusiastic and interesting messages made me think you were a really nice person that I would have loved to meet in real life. Rest in peace.

Siri (sellout), Norway

Less than a year at the MB, yet enough to see that Tore was kind , cheerful and enthusiastic.
My deepest condolensses to his family and friends.
Tore, R.I.P. I'll remember you with a smile. This song is for you :

Anthi -( Corinth, Greece )

Tore, I will miss our discussions during the ESC-season when we tried to predict the outcome of the contest. Tore was a two times winner of the OGAE Norway prediction competition and I had great respect for him because of that. His views helped me to win the OGAE Sweden predicition competition.

Always positive, friendly and warm he became a respected member of the mb. He will be deeply missed but never forgotten.


Tommy E, Sweden

RIP Tore,

I will miss your considered, humerous and enthusiastic posts, with sympathy and respect.

Spencer Martin, (Spencer the Jack) Swansea, Wales

Don't weep at my grave For I am not there I have a date with a butterfly To dance in the air I'll be singing in sunshine Wild and free Playing tag with the wind While I'm waiting for thee Rest in peace, Tore Ruta, Lithuania

From Dan, Dan, Messageboard Man:

I'm not the most prolific poster on the board, but Tore, you made me smile with your posts. I would have loved to meet you in Norway, but our meeting will have to wait. Love and best wishes to your family and loved ones. X

Tore

I was very shocked and saddened to hear the news that you had left us. I can hardly believe I will never have the opportunity to speak to you again.

My abiding memory of you is of someone who was always in great form.Warm,friendly,good humoured and easy to get along with.I loved your relaxed temperament and the fact that you never seemed to be in a bad humour.Instead you were had a chldlike enthusiasm about you which was infectious.

I will miss our daily banter on the messageboard.I think the two of us were on the same wavelength and we had numerous light hearted debates this year about Alexander Rybak's chances of winning Eurovision ; I would put forward a series of reasons why he wouldn't win,and you would come back immediately with reasons why he would in fact triumph.You of course had the last laugh :)

I was delighted for you that you got to see Norway win Eurovision and that you knew the Contest was coming to your beloved Oslo next year.

I'm sorry that we never got the opportunity to meet in person,as I'm sure we would have gotten on like a house on fire.I hope that chance comes sometime in the future.

It was nice knowing you Tore.

Until we see each other again,

Ron

Dublin,Ireland

Dear Tore,

Shocked about the news about your death I only could think of one song that expresses my feelings:



I try to say goodbye and I choke
Try to walk away and I stumble
Though I try to hide it, it's clear
My world crumbles when you are not here
Goodbye and I choke
I try to walk away and I stumble
Though I try to hide it, it's clear
My world crumbles when you are not here

------

Nick from Holland

Dear Tore,

There is one sentence that crosses my mind all the time... "If we only could turn back time..." I wonder what would happen. I wonder if we all could do more to make you stay with us longer, be with us and make us happy, as you used to... Rest in peace, my dear Tore... "Duett" is a special Norwegian song for me, a song that will always remind me of you, my dear friend, you my dear angel and our another Norwegian angel, Jan Werner Danielsen. See you one day, in eternity... All of us...

Hugs from your Bosnian friend,
Davor

Though I did not meet Tore in real, I felt knew him well enough to shed a tear, sth I very rarely do. I am very shocked, he was such a nice person on the mb, and his appearance will be very missed.

All the strength to Thor, Helge and everyone that knew Tore. I'm out of words. But my thoughts are with you guys.

R.I.P. Tore, I'll miss you!

Geert - Belgium
My tribute to Tore. Being the Royksopp fan he is, I do hope he is happy up there.

If there was ever a mber I wanted to meet or topped my poll it had to be Tore and seriously, who else was so enthusiastic, informative, gentle, happy, good natured... words can't describe this wonderful guy, hope he's at peace now and looks down on the contest in his homeland next year.

TenT Ireland

After we learned the news of Tore's faith, I have been thinking about him a lot. Many of us express our regrets that we will never be able to meet him in real life. At the same time I feel that in many ways, we got to know him quite well. I will remember him as a knowledgeable, polite, musical, fun, tongue-in-cheek and friendly guy. He was thoroughly sensible in any discussion, which was both refreshing and some times even a little annoying for those of us who are by disposition a little more hot-headed. He made his points and stood for them, without straying from the issue at hand, gaining the respect of those he discussed with. Tore also enjoyed our competitions and made people all over the world discover music they didn't know. In such competitions Tore had the rare quality of being humble when he did well and gracious when he didn't.

Tore was very knowledgeable about music in general and the music business in particular. When Anita Skorgan was going to release a best of-album, I remember Tore getting excited about the newly recorded bonus tracks when the rest of us had barely yet heard of the planned release, which was kind of a typical situation. There is a song by Anita Skorgan I discovered after I got that album, which has lyrics that I find very comforting in these circumstances. And maybe someone else will find them comforting, too. There is an English translation below.

Min kjæreste venn Min kjæreste venn er i gress. Jeg holder en håndfull med gress mot mitt kinn, så åpner jeg opp, strå danser med vind. Min kjæreste venn er i gress. Min kjæreste venn er i vind. Jeg åpner et vindu og slipper den inn. Den stryker meg lett, er varlig og lind. Min kjæreste venn er i vind. Min kjæreste venn er i luft. Jeg puster ham inn med hvert eneste drag, har ham i lungene dag etter dag. Min kjæreste venn er i luft. Min kjæreste venn er i vann. Han gynger meg sakte og stryker mitt hår Min kropp er den strand hvor bølgene slår. Mørket drar, men drømmen vår lever her hvor hjertet slår. Min kjæreste venn er i ild. I bålet som brenner, i flammenes spill, i torden og lyn, i alt som er til. Min kjæreste venn er i ild. Min kjæreste venn er i gress, i vind, sky og luft står han lysende klar. Og vann, ja selv ild kan si hvem han var. Min kjæreste venn er i gress.

My dearest friend My dearest friend is in grass. I'm holding a handful of grass towards my cheek, then I open up, straws are dancing in the wind. My dearest friend is in grass. My dearest friend is in wind. I open a window and let it in. It caresses me lightly, is careful and soft. My dearest friend is in wind. My dearest friend is in air. I breath him in with every single breath keep him in my lungs, day after day. My dearest friend is in air. My dearest friend is in water. He rocks me gently and caresses my hair. My body is the beach where the waves crash. The darkness is leaving, but our dream lives here where the heart beats. My dearest friend is in fire. in the fire that burns, in the dance of the flames, in thunder and lightning, in everything that exists. My dearest friend is in fire. My dearest friend is in grass, in wind, cloud and air, he's standing shiningly clear. And water, yes even fire, can tell who he was. My dearest friend is in grass.

Thank you, Tore, for being an enrichment to the message board, and thereby also to the lives of the people who frequent it. Takk.

Arvid, Oslo, Norway

Always friendly and fair, always sensible and balanced - that's the Tore I'll remember. Your contributions to the ESC Nation community will be dearly missed, but the impact you've had won't be forgotten. The chance to meet you in person has sadly passed, so my thoughts are with those who were fortunate enough to get to know you for real.

Takk.

Harald
Bergen, Norge

As Tore was always on hand with a friendly spirit, a great knowledge and love of music, a cool beer, and a big smile ;o) - I feel this is fitting.
Get up and dance,
Get up and smile,
Get up and drink,
to the ones who are gone in the shortest while
from Ocean Colour Scene - "One For The Road"
Rest In Peace, Tore, you will be missed.
Dan Harrow, England

Well, what can I say? It's so hard to believe that someone can post messages at the mb at one moment, and in the next moment be dead! Almost scary how strange such things can happen....

Tore will be remembered and deeply missed for my part. At the mb he was a very "bright" person, in all ways. Positive, smiling (with his classical smileys!), friendly and warm. Just a loveable person. Genuinely nice throughoutly. He was so purely enthousiatic about everything involving ESC, he had kept the "clean" spirit for the contest. Not anything of the sometimes annoying "ironical distance" / ESC isn't REALLY good music-atttitude etc that honestly sometimes can be annoying sometimes. Tore was a realy die hard fan. He showed real passion, and was always in such a good and positive spirit at the mb. He knew a lot about the contest too. In addition, he was very good at predicting results, he often won the OGAE-Norway competions for guessing the results.

He had very good knowlegde on music in general, and often postet threads that showed great interest to all kinds of pop and rock music. A lesser known fact to some one us, is that he also actually wrote a couple about music book. One pop-quiz book. And another Norwegian book which surveyed all album and single charts rankings. A great book, which I also have in my collection. It's looked upon as a must for chart-lovers, and it has often be refered to. It was said that a another book could have been released from his part, with more chart updates. But it didn't happen. Tore also showed interst in many things. He was interested in football, something which we also could read sometimes. As a "debatant" he was good, with convincing arguments for what he said. He also seemed really intelligent.

Even if we both lived in the same city, I never had the pleasure to know him personally. But I guess us old-timers all felt we "knew" him from the mb, as he was a frequent poster. Actually, I tried to get to know him a bit, he was honesly a very interesting person at the mb. I can't see any reason why he shouldn't be the same great person in real life too. But time was to short for it too happen. Despite his open nature at the mb, he was appearently a bit more reserved on the private side, so not many of us knew him privately.

He will be deeply missed and often thinked about!

Steinar - Norway

Tore,

Thanks for your contributions to the MB over the years. We will miss your enthusiasm for Eurovision and your gentle humour. Be at peace, and know that we are thinking of you with sadness, but also with fondness.

Richard_CT (Connecticut,USA)

Honeyroot – Where I Belong

I got no worries on my mind
Leaving all my cares behind
Don't want no troubles at my door
I don't need them anymore

'Coz I'm....
....moving on
To where I belong

I got no worries on my mind
Leaving all my cares behind
Don't want no troubles at my door
I don't need them anymore

'Coz I'm....
....moving on
To where I belong
'Coz I'm....
....moving on
To where I belong

Feel the sunshine breaking through
And all the grey sky's turned to blue
I won't let sorrow follow me
Just like a bird I'm flying free

'Coz I'm....
....moving on
To where I belong...
....where I belong...
'Coz I'm moving on
to where I belong
where I belong...
where I belong...
I got no worries on my mind
I got no worries on my mind
got no worries on my mind
just like a bird I'm flying free
got no worries on my mind
Just like a bird I'm flying free...


Rest in peace, dear friend...

Daiva
Vilnius, Lithuania

Rest in peace, dear Tore.
Light of your kind soul touched all of us. You will never be forgotten in this Message Boad.
My deepest condolences for family and friends.

Egle, Ireland/Lithuania

Tore, may your soul rest in peace ...

TigerH/Bruno

<extract from R.E.M.'s You Are The Everything>
Sometimes I feel like I can't even sing (say, say, the light)
I'm very scared for this world
I'm very scared for me (say, say, the light)
Eviscerate your memory
Here's a scene
You're in the back seat laying down (say, say, the light)
The windows wrap around
To sound of the travel and the engine (say, say, the light)
All you hear is time stand still in travel
And feel such peace and absolute
The stillness still that doesn't end
But slowly drifts into sleep
The greatest thing you've ever seen
And they're there for you
For you alone you are the everything
For you alone you are the everything

It seems very few of us were privileged to know Tore well, and yet the emptiness we feel at his loss is testament to the kind of person he was and to the impact he had on us here on the MB. He will be mourned, and he will be missed, but most importantly he will loved and celebrated for the man he was.



Greg, Estonia

Not how did he die, but how did he live?
Not what did he gain, but what did he give?
These are the units to measure the worth
Of a man as a man, regardless of birth.
Not, what was his church, nor what was his creed?
But had he befriended those really in need?
Was he ever ready, with word of good cheer,
To bring back a smile, to banish a tear?
Not what did the sketch in the newspaper say,
But how many were sorry when he passed away.

Thanks for all the smiles and all the kind words Tore.
Your sense of humour and lovely spirit will be deeply missed.
Hvil i fred.

Joanna, Israel

I am Jukka, a Finnish member of MB. I didn't know Tore personally, but he never did anything bad and treated everyone well. When I read sad news, I did a song for Tore's memory and for everyone, who are missing him.

OUR HEARTS ARE CRYING

Our hearts are crying
There are no words at all
The angels are flying
Above our tear's waterfall

Our hearts are crying
There is still love in the air
The memories are not dying
Those are all that we can share

Our hearts are crying
the most silent heavy tears
The angels are whispering
Words of comfort to our ears

Our hearts are crying
Sadness is not fading
Away

I am sad and shocked for the news of your death. We never met in real life, but in online world I considered you as a friend. A friendly, intelligent person with such a deep knowledge on wide matters, whether it be music or architecture. You're dearly missed!

Marianne, Helsinki, Finland

Tribute by Gijsbert ( Nachty NL)

I evighet Dagen går mot kveld, er borte, blir snart glemt Men alt vi gav den står igjen, et frø som gror og vokser frem Slik er kjærlighetens vei når den møter deg og meg Først når vi lærer og forstår, vil den modnes og bli vår Selv om dagene går, de svinner hen og blir til år Alltid vil kjærlighet bestå i tid og evighet I evighet Elven renner stille hen over sletter, skog og eng Men på sin vei for å nå frem, gikk den over stryk og stein Selv om dagene går, de svinner hen og blir til år Alltid vil kjærlighet bestå i tid og evighet I evighet Selv om dagene går, de svinner hen og blir til år Alltid vil kjærlighet bestå i tid og evighet I evighet Alltid vil kjærlighet bestå i tid og evighet I evighet

For eternity Day is turning to evening, is gone, soon forgotten But what we gave remains, a seed will grow and sprout Such is love's way when it strikes you and me Only when we learn and understand, it will ripen and be ours Though the days pass by, vanishing, becoming years Love will always remain, for ever and eternity For eternity The river smoothly flows, through meadows, plains and woods But on its way to reach its goal, it passes stony rapids Though the days pass by, vanishing, becoming years Love will always remain, for ever and eternity For eternity Though the days pass by, vanishing, becoming years Love will always remain, for ever and eternity For eternity Love will always remain, for ever and eternity For eternity

Tore,

You were such a great person with such an pop in your step. You were a sunshine of light to the MB. You were always true and you will always be remembered in our hearts as the optimistic poster with such excitement. I will make sure im in Oslo for 2010 in your honor and you will be in the back of my mind in every song and in every twelve points. May you rest in peace and one day I hope to finally meet you in the heavens and see that cheerful man who brought happiness to me and everyone else on the board even in our darkest days.



Will never forget you.

Jahner - New York/Cyprus

Even though I did not know Tore well at all, he has left a mark on all of us, evident in the outpouring of grief, sadness and sympathies for his loved ones on the ESC Nation messageboard. It takes a great man to bring all of us together like you did, and I thank you for that, Tore. You will be missed. Rest in peace.

Noah - USA / Bosnia and Herzegovina

The last, late guest
To the gate we followed;
Goodbye -- and the rest
The night-wind swallowed.

House, garden, street,
Lay tenfold gloomy,
Where accents sweet
Had made music to me.

It was but a feast
With the dark coming on;
He was but a guest --
And now, he is gone.

~Henrik Ibsen~

Rest in peace, Tore.

May those who loved and knew you find comfort in the outpour of grief from those whose lives were touched by your all-too-brief presence in our midst.

Jeremy - New York City, USA

We were blessed to have among us one who knew music better than most of us. Who knew how to discuss without entering an argument. Who loved contests without ever showing hard feelings when he didn't win. And who believed in his country despite so many nul points.

For this, and more, Tore, you have my undivided respect.

Rest in peace. From Yair (N Ireland / Israel).

Tore, you will be missed.

R.I.P. fellow fan

Andy (Belgium)

Words escape me, but my fond memories of Tore will always remain.
Sleep peacefully my friend.

Jaymakk xx

This last February I was in Oslo for the very first time, for Melodi Grand Prix. This was no random choice. The Norwegian message board members made me feel attracted to Norway more and more, and after having visited, even for the weekend, this attraction has only grown bigger. Tore was a big part in that. He was usually in the background of the board, but when he cared about something, he would always show himself, and every time with such a positive attitude and enthusiasm about music in general. And in a world where negativity can sometimes takes over, this made him very intriguing to me. The opportunity to ever meet in person has now however passed. That is my loss and it has already left such an impact, I cannot even begin to imagine how it feels for his family and friends. I wish them great strength.

Tore also introduced me to some great music that I always associated with him when I played it. I will continue to think of him every time I play these songs. One of these is "Den Morgenen" by Vidar Johnsen and Peter Nordberg.



You're already missed, Tore. Rest in peace.

Alexander, the Netherlands

This song might seem like an odd choice, but Tore always had an ear for new music, not least from Norway, and was a keen follower of the charts. This is the first single from a new, Norwegian band and is currently number one in Norway. So it somehow seems like an appropriate way to remember the great music lover that he was.

Hvil i fred Tore.

Roger, Oslo.

We will miss the daily iTunes Chart placings, the smiling playful words, the positivity and most of all we will just miss YOU
Our deepest thoughts go to your family and friends at the time and we hope they can find the strength to guide them through this dark chapter.
Love always
Mike Duncan
and
Daniel Fay

U.K. and Ireland

Hi, my name is Drew, and I live in Plymouth in the UK.

I never got to meet Tore but we often chatted on the escnation message board, sometimes agreed and sometimes disagreed... but what I can say is that Tore was a gentleman, always polite and always knowledgeable and definitely fun.... he would always give time to talk to you, to cheer you up if you were down, and I for one was very much looking forward to meeting him on my first trip to Oslo next May for Eurovision.... I am very sad that I will not now get the chance to meet this wonderful human being, but i will be raising a glass to celebrate his life when I am in Oslo....

My overriding memory of Tore is his utmost joy when Norway won eurovision this year and his happiness at his country winning so marvelously. I remember his unwavering support of Alexander Rybak, even though others weren't so enamored with the song... but he was fine with that, fine in the knowledge that his country had won :)

R.I.P Tore, and may I offer this lovely poem in tribute to you so that we can all remember you, in our own way, and that you will not be forgotten here;

Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way which you always used
Put no difference in your tone,
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It it the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near,
Just around the corner.
All is well.

... my condolences and thoughts to Tore's friends and family on this very very sad occasion.

Love

Drew (UK)
xxx

May I dedicate this song to Tore? It struck me as kind of appropriate, because I remember that in the last American Song Contest we held, Tore submitted a song by JoJo to represent the state of Vermont, and seemed quite apologetic and sheepish about his choice, and was amazed when it ended up in the top 10.



As the Bard said:

"Now cracks a noble heart. Good-night, sweet prince;
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."

Welterusten, Tore.

Clive (Yorkie), Birmingham, England

From Tina, UK:

Comfort from the Other Side

"Be at ease now, I am free
In your sadness think of me
Know that I am without pain
Without sorrow in the light

And what you now see of me
Is what you know, but not what I am
It carried me through life for a while
And brought me to eternity

I give it back to Mother Earth
Who will take it to keep
And I - I myself go back to my source
Where all life began

Dry your tears, all will be well
I have always known it would
My greatest dreams have come true
So dream on for you

Keep thinking of me as I was
Especially when I was happy
Grow in that memory
From which you take courage
For a new beginning "


A translation from a verse taken from a Dutch book:
If Butterflies Could Talk
Yvonne van Emmerik