Leevi Madetoja

"It will come as no surprise that Dima Slobodeniouk and his Lahti musicians give all four works committed and lively performances, and that the BIS team have captured them in vivid sound."

The wars fought in the early decades of Finland’s independence cast a long, dark shadow far into the second half of the 20th century. The voice of war in works by Finnish composers speaks of victory, defeat, grief and reconciliation.

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

"In a small culture like Finland's, the presence of a sovereign master of his field like Sibelius is bound to have a very deep significance. At least two generations of Finnish composers completed their life's work in his enormous shadow," wrote composer Jouni Kaipainen in his article about Leevi Madetoja, published in FMQ in 1985.

In his article from 1987 Markku Kilpiö takes a look at Finnish choral singing.