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Cover: Tapiola Choir – Joy! - Highlights from the world-famous children's choir

Tapiola Choir

Joy! - Highlights from the world-famous children's choir

Tapiola Choir
Kari Ala-Pöllänen, conductor
Erkki Pohjola, conductor

ODE 1003-2 · CD · June 2002

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Track listing

33 tracks · 70:14

Traditional

  1. 1 Kotimaani ompi Suomi (This Land, My Land, Finland) 1:58
  2. 2 Kansalaislaulu (Song of the Nation) 1:43

Oskar Merikanto

  1. 3 Nälkämaan laulu (Song of the Wanting Land) 3:01

Traditional

  1. 4 Jo Karjalan kunnailla (The Hills of Karelia) 2:17
  2. 5 Minun kultani kaunis on (Ah, How Fair My Sweetheart Is) 1:45
  3. 6 Soittajapaimen (The Piper Shepherd) 1:33
  4. 7 Taivas on sininen ja valkoinen (The Sky is Blue) 2:06
  5. 8 Minä olen Härmän Kankaanpäästä (From Kankaanpää in Härmä am I) 2:07
  6. 9 Orvon Huokaus (An Orphan's Sigh) 2:44

Jean Sibelius

  1. 10 Finlandia, Op. 26/7 (1899) 2:08

Fredrik Pacius

  1. 11 Mamme (Our Land) 3:05

Veljo Tormis

  1. Suomalais-ugrilaisia maisemia (Finno-Ugric Landscapes) 8:41
  2. 12 I. Metsästyslaulu (Hunting Song) 1:41
  3. 13 IV. Joen rannalla (By the Riverside) 1:11
  4. 14 IX. Vepsän poluilla (On Vepsian Pathways) 2:01
  5. 15 XI. Tammipuu (The Oak Tree) 0:41
  6. 16 XII. Paimenessa (Herding Song) 1:47
  7. 17 XIV. Meren rannalla (On the Sea Shore) 1:20

Traditional

  1. 18 Aizu Bandaisan (The Volcano of Aizu Bandai) 2:02

Kosaku Yamada

  1. 19 Akatonbo (Red Dragonfly) 2:13

Traditional

  1. 20 Siyahamba 1:44

Arne Mellnäs

  1. 21 Aglepta 4:52

Aulis Sallinen

  1. 22 Vintern var hård 1:37
  2. Suita grammaticale, Op. 28
  3. 23 Die erste Deklination 2:57

Traditional

  1. 24 Maria, Herran piikanen (Mary, Handmaiden of the Lord) 1:49

Pekka Jalkanen

  1. 25 Jouluna Jumala syntyi (At Christmas, God Came on Earth) 1:50

P.J. Hannikainen

  1. 26 Suojelusenkeli (Maan korvessa kulkevi lapsosen tie) (Guardian Angel) 1:48

Sofie Lithenius

  1. 27 Iltarukous (Evening Prayer) 2:06

Traditional

  1. 28 Täällä pohjantähden alla (Here Beneath a Northern Star) 2:40
  2. 29 Pikkulinnun ylistys (Little Bird's Adoration) 0:50

Kreeta Haapasalo

  1. 30 Kanteleeni (My Kantele) 2:56

Taneli Kuusisto

  1. 31 Suomalainen rukous (Finnish Prayer) 2:23

Traditional

  1. 32 Suvivirsi (Summer Hymn) 2:44

Oskar Merikanto

  1. 33 Kiitos Sulle Jumalani (Thank You, My God) 2:35

Features

Booklet with liner notes in English, German, French and Finnish and the song lyrics in the original languages and in English

The artists

Tapiola Choir

The Tapiola Choir is one of the world's leading children's choirs and consists of 70 young musicians aged 9 to 18, all of whom also play at least one musical instrument in addition to singing. Erkki Pohjola founded the Tapiola Choir in Espoo in 1963. After meeting Zoltan Kodály and Carl Orff in 1964, he adapted their ideas into a free-form education method with a chamber-music approach, building on the innate creativity and musical talents of children. He continued to pursue this new music education ideal as conductor of the Tapiola Choir for over three decades. During that time, the Choir evolved from a run-of-the-mill school choir into one of the most acclaimed vocal instruments of our time. International critics called its unique sound the ‘Tapiola Sound'. Kari Ala-Pöllänen continued the work of Erkki Pohjola from 1994 to 2008, until he was succeeded by Pasi Hyökki, one of the Choir's own alumni.

Full biography

Kari Ala-Pöllänen

Like Erkki Pohjola, his predecessor as Conductor and Music Director of the Tapiola Choir, Kari Ala-Pöllänen is a school teacher by training. But he is also a multitalented musician who plays several instruments. He has worked as an orchestral musician and in the fields of folk music and jazz. He has conducted, sung in vocal groups, taught and written text books for schools. To add to all this, he has acted as Artistic Director of international choral festivals, been a juror for choral competitions and been active in training choral directors and singers.

Full biography

Erkki Pohjola

Professor Erkki Pohjola (b. 1931) is one of the leading personalities of Finnish music education, a groundbreaking choral conductor and a pioneering figure in the international children's and youth choir movement.

Full biography

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