From a 21st-century perspective, Sibelius may appear to stand more or less alone in the history of Finnish music. It is easy to forget that he could not have fulfilled his artistic potential if his environment had not been conducive to musical creativity. But much of the music that was part of that environment has been almost completely forgotten, often because its aesthetic didn't accord with the prevailing nationalist trends of the late 19th century.

In this programme of choral works, Nils Schweckendiekand his Helsinki Chamber Choirguide us through some 80 years of Finnish music for choir, from the period when the country formed part of the Russian Empire, as the Grand Duchy of Finland. It was during this time that a Finnish nationalist movement began to take form, in opposition towards the political and cultural dominance of Russia and Sweden respectively. This development can be traced in the way the idea of Spring –a staple in the songs of the Nordic countries –changes from a sense of joy at the end to the hardships of winter to a metaphor for liberation from political oppression. Another result was the Fennicizationtowards the end of the 19th century, during which many popular Swedish and German-language songs were translated into Finnish and the originals in effect suppressed –a case in point being the earliest piece on the disc, F. A. Ehrstrom'sSvanen(The Swan, 1833), which has had its original Swedish text restored for this recording.

Erkki Melartin
01. Aamulla. 0'58
 
Karl Collan
02. Morgenlied. 1'38
 
Henrik Borenius
03. Laulajaparille. 1'32
 
Karl Johan Moring
04. Den vantande. 1'58
05. Hamnden. 1'17
 
Bernhard Henrik Crusell
06. Hell dig, du hoga Nord!. 1'48
 
Piae Cantiones Trad., Heikki Klemetti
07. In vernali tempore / Tullos kevat armahin. 2'51
 
Fredrik Pacius
08. Varmorgonen. 3'59
 
Rafael Laethen
09. Iltalaulu. 1'37
 
Fredrik August Ehrstrom
10. Svanen. 2'25
 
Robert Kajanus
11. Serenad. 1'25
 
Traditional/arr. Emil Sivori
12. Iloa ja surua. 2'20
 
Ludvig Kiljander
13. Metsassa. 1'46
 
Pekka Juhani Hannikainen
14. Punkaharjun laulutytto. 2'01
 
Erik August Hagfors
15. Kevatyhtion polska. 2'00
 
Traditional/arr. Martin Wegelius
16. Och jungfrun hon gar i dansen. 0'43
 
Ludvig Kiljander
17. Hiljaa!. 1'50
 
Primus Leppanen
18. Nain unta kesasta kerran. 1'56
 
Emil Genetz
19. Ins stille Land. 1'24
 
Armas Jarnefelt
20. Orpo ja lintu. 3'43
21. Armahan kulku. 1'41
 
Erkki Melartin
22. Darthulan hautauslaulu. 4'09
 
Oskar Merikanto
23. Itatuulessa. 4'04
 
Erkki Melartin
24. Piirilaulu. 0'45
 
Traditional/arr. Richard Faltin
25. Piiritanssilaulu. 1'45
 
Gabriel Linsen
26. Skordefolkets visa. 1'25
 
Album total. 53'11