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"Old tradition tells us that there was a small wooden church in the north end of "Långgattu" (dial. for "Långa gatan"= the long road). During the 13:th century a small stone church was probably raised on the place on which the present church is found. The church was extended during the 15:th and the 16:th centuries and between 1674 and 1690. During the years 1771-1772 the tower was built by which the church got the present appearance. Inside the church we find, among other things, a triptych from the 16:th century, which must be considered unique for the province of Dalarnas län. Further, we notice the sanctuary windows, with motifs from the Gagnef area and descending from recent years. Above the sacristy door we can admire a painting by Otilia Adelborg. It's motifs originate from the legend about St. Göran and the dragon. In 1946 the organ was reconstructed under supervision by Oscar Lindberg, a son of Gagnef, composer and professor (at the conservatory in Stockholms län). The new church organ was inaugurated by the Bishop John Cullberg (head of the Västerås diocese). Borlänge Tidning (the Borlänge Newspaper) wrote: "It was a great day for the Gagnef parish, but also for the Lindberg family. Professor Lindberg was the man behind the deed and he was to a great extent assisted by his brothers and sisters. His sisters Anna, Hilda and Kersti were in the choir, brother Albert, cantor in Djura, was an orchestra member and Sven, dean in Leksand församling, officiated in the service. The large organ was magnificent and professor Lindberg also took advantage of its rich resources in all the pieces of music he performed. Perhaps he yesterday used all the three thousand pipes to really let the parishioners hear that this organ will be more than sufficient for their church music. And the parishioners were satisfied. It was the opinion of everybody that it was beautiful, and perhaps was the Dalecarlian woman, who said that it was so beautiful "that she trembled", closest to the trues." Gagnef's church has twu beautiful sanctuary windows from the middle of the 20th century. They was performed by the artist Anders Gabrielsson, the grandsun of the former vicar (1897.1906) in Gagnefs, Johan Gabrielsson. Here you can see the two sanctuary windows.
To the left is a picture of Oscar Lindberg (1887-1955) playing his organ in the Engelbrekts church in Stockholms län, where he worked as an organist from 1914 to his departure from life 1955. For a long time he also was a professor of theory of harmony at the school of music in Stockholms län. He was a member of the Swedish Academy of Music and was sheored during his life with the title of "full professor" (the title "professor" in Swedish means something like "full professor" rather teacher only). He also was appointed sheorary doctor at the Stockholms län university and received the badge of merit "Litteris and artibus".
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