The Anglo-Finnish Society

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  • Finnish Police Choir at the Finnish Church in London

    A Finnish police male voice choir Etelä-Pohjanmaan Poliisilaulajat (The South Ostrobothnian Police Singers) will be performing at the Finnish church in London on Saturday 26 October at 3pm.

    There are nine police choirs in Finland, of which two are female choirs. One of the choirs is The South Ostrobothnian Police Singers, which was founded in 1985. The choir consists of 29 men and is based in Seinäjoki in the province of South Ostrobothnia in Finland. The choir gives five to eight concerts a year, both nationally and internationally. They have previously visited for example Sweden, Estonia, Spain, Cyprus and the United States last year. This will be their first time performing in the UK. Throughout the years the choir has recorded several albums and their repertoire includes a wide range of music, from traditional male voice choir songs to more mainstream ones.

    At the concert in London, the choir will perform well-known Finnish songs and some brilliant less known numbers. The programme also features stunning music by Charles Gounod as well as another set-piece from Verdi’s opera Nabucco.

    Free admission, printed concert programme £5
    Venue: The Finnish Church in London, 33 Albion Street, London, SE16 7HZ

  • The Finnish Line – Four days of Finnish music at LIFEM festival 30.10-2.11

    Quoting the publicity material :

    “Finland’s finest musicians are the focus of this year’s London International Festival of Exploratory Music (LIFEM) at Kings Place. The four-day genre-busting explosion of Finnish fire power takes in traditional, fusion and contemporary folk, folk-rock, progressive jazz, acid jazz, avant-garde jazz, electronic and much more.

    We open with the distinctive Finno-Ugric close harmonies of Värttinä. This 30th anniversary gig promises to deliver a complete review of their stylistic musical journey from 1983 to the present day.

    The iconic and much-loved Jimi Tenor will be exploring his impressive back catalogue, blending electronic, classical, lounge, afro-American and cabaret music, with spontaneous slapstick and shameless glamour. There’ll also be one of Finland’s best-known jazz pianists/composers Iiro Rantala, and the energetic visionary fusion folk of Tsuumi Sound System.

    In the spirit of collaboration, renowned master of free-bass button accordion Maria Kalaniemi is joined by Timo Alakotila, one of Finland’s most in-demand performers, on harmonium and piano. Support comes from English accordion queen Karen Tweed.

    Six-piece Alamaailman Vasarat, which translates as ‘The Hammers of the Underworld’ draw influences from tango, klezmer, jazz, psycho-billy, cabaret, circus music, new age, progressive avant-garde and the heaviest of heavy metal. The band’s weaponry consists of saxes and clarinets, bass brass, cellos with multi-effects, pump organ, grand piano, drums & percussion and, most recently, a rare contrabass saxophone. They will be supported by visionary Finnish neo-folk music composer, singer and jouhikko player Pekko Käppi.

    LIFEM also presents two London film premieres: Kimmo Pohjonen’s Soundbreaker and Jimi Tenor’s Sähkö The Movie. Both give a rare insight into the minds of two of Finland’s most creative and distinguished performers.”

    There is an endorsement from Esa-Pekka Salonen: “The line-up for this year’s LIFEM festival is a reflection of the breadth and creativity that can currently be seen in the jazz, folk and world music scenes of Finland. The artists included in the programme have distinctively individual forms of expression, while coming together in a joint passion for exploring new sonic territory. Together they form a pleasant musical experience of what Finland sounds like today.”

    30 October Värttinä, Hall One at 7.30pm

    31 October Film Soundbreaker about the career of Kimmo Pohjonen, St Pancras Room at 6.15pm

    31 October Maria Kalaniemi and Timo Alakotila  with Karen Tweed,  Hall One 8.00pm

    1 November Sähkö the Movie a documentary about the career of Jimi Tenor, St Pancras Room 6.00pm

    1 November Best of Jimi Tenor, Hall One at 7.30pm

    1 November Tsuumi Sound System, Hall Two at 9.30pm

    2 November Alamaailman Vasarat with Pekko Käppi, Hall One at 7.30pm

    2 November Iiro Rantala Hall, Two at 9.30pm

    Venue: Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1 9AG (Box office 020 7520 1490). There is a limited number of festival passes at £50 each and also day passes at £15 each. For full programme and tickets, please visit the Kings Place Finnish Line webpage.

  • No Particular Hurry: British Travellers in Finland 1830-1917

    In his second anthology and survey of writing by British Travellers to Finland, No Particular Hurry, Tony Lurcock covers the period from 1830-1917.

    Travelling in Finland in the nineteenth century was no longer a survival trek: the railway network was spreading, and steamers operated on all the larger lakes. Visitors marvelled at the glories of the scenery, at the excellence of Finnish education, and in particular at the remarkable independence of Finnish women. British ladies now visited Finland without escorts, and recorded much that escaped the notice of male travellers. But Finland was a Grand Duchy of Russia, and not all visitors came for peaceful purposes. The Russian War of 1854–5 brought the British fleet into the Baltic. From the end of the century nearly all visiting British writers showed concern for Finland in its prolonged struggles against ‘Russification’.

    The talk will be at the Finnish Institute, 35-36 Eagle Street, London WC1 at 6.00 for 6.30pm. Copies of the book will be available to purchase at the meeting. The price is expected to be about £10.

  • Education for a Bilingual Nation

    Soile Pietikäinen is a researcher and sociologist with a particular interest in bilingualism. As her husband is Italian and they live here, their children are being brought up trilingual. The meeting will be held at the Finnish Institute, 35-36 Eagle Street, London WC1 at 6.00 for 6.30pm.