Helsinki Chamber Choir

Classical music continues to define the Finnish identity. This year’s Emma nominees show that this year that identity is being shaped by poetry settings by Saariaho, sizzling live technology, awareness of biodiversity loss and international quality.

The theme for the contemporary music festival Musica nova Helsinki this year (2–10 February) is Polytopia, referring to a plurality of locations and performance practices. The programme features world premieres, spatial art, evocative soundscapes and a societal dimension. Events with live audiences cannot be held due to the coronavirus restrictions still in place, but the festival is going ahead with a roster of online performances and radio broadcasts.

A wall of sound produced by a choir, when done just so, can pierce the heart and reach right up to the tear ducts. Singing familiar songs together fosters a sense of community, linking us to a generational chain of singers of bygone times as the shared joy of raising our voices together generates positive energy. Scientific studies have shown that singing together has measurable health benefits. In the Year of the Coronavirus, however, singing has suddenly been deemed a dangerous activity, and as such has been restricted or banned outright. Nevertheless, singing did and does go on, even under these exceptional circumstances.

"Generally speaking, exploratory modernist choral music is taxing to both perform and listen to, but this disc is an exception. Both Antti Auvinen and Sampo Haapamäki take the listener on a roller-coaster ride."

"It is delightful that the ambitious concert projects by the Helsinki Chamber Choir so often become available in recorded form."

"For all the sophistication of Rautavaara’s harmonic language, what he is doing here, basically, is weaving a spell – and I defy you not to be hypnotised by the unearthly beauty of this wonderful music."

"Haapanen typically deconstructs the text by rearranging its constituents, thus creating mixed feelings of alienation and vulnerable immediacy."

Musica nova Helsinki, Finland’s largest contemporary music festival, takes place 1-10 February 2019. Here's FMQ's selection of the concerts and events you should not miss!

The Helsinki Chamber Choir is one of the best in its kind in the world these days.

"Olli Ahvenlahti’s compositions are mostly mellow and somewhat romantic, as is his playing. The touch has a pleasant singing quality."

Nature is among the most common topics in music of all eras. Matthew Whittall’s nature-composing continues this tradition with strong nostalgic tones.

The Helsinki Chamber Choir has always been an ambassador for the most demanding contemporary vocal music and for Finnish music. In summer 2016, the choir is busy hosting the International Einojuhani Rautavaara Workshop and Competition and the Tenso Days festival in Helsinki in August.

Viitasaari was once again the crossroads for different generations of composers: from the “dinosaurs” Brian Ferneyhough and Harrison Birtwistle to recent breakthroughs such as Mark André and Pierluigi Billone, to name just a few, along with the Finnish Lauri Supponen and Heinz-Juhani Hofmann.