As the corona spring turned into summer, the Helsinki police band started orchestra rehearsals for the recording of the Christmas album. The orchestra gathered in the second week of June in Kauniainen's New Pavilion and spread out throughout the space with large safety gaps. Acoustically, the space is excellent, and after the quiet life of spring, the live orchestration was honey to the ears. The music was tuned directly to the Christmas atmosphere when summer was just bursting into flower. After that week's rehearsals, the orchestra left for summer vacation. The actual recording was done in the same place after the holidays in July-August. The orchestra was led by chief conductor Sami Ruusuvuori. Assistant conductor Heikki Elo, a multitalent in music and music technology, was the producer. Markku Veijonsuo was responsible for the recording.
In recent years, the police band has had more wonderful singers as soloists in the Christmas concert, which has already become a tradition, which has been organized eight times so far in Helsinki's Old Church. In recent years, the concert has also been taken to some provincial centers, last year to Lohja and Loviisa. Perhaps the most memorable soloists from these concerts were included in the new album: soprano Helena Juntunen and tenor Mika Pohjonen. Both soloists enjoyed working with the police band and took up the possibility of continuing the collaboration in the context of the Christmas recording.
The album features traditional Finnish Christmas songs that instantly get you in the Christmas mood, such as Sylvia's Christmas Carol, Varpunen Christmas Morning and Mökit nukkuu luminest. Pohjonen also wonderfully echoes the tenors' Christmas bravura, Adolphe Adam's classic Oh Christmas Night. We also looked for great Christmas carols, rarely performed with an orchestra, such as Gösta Sundqvist's Joulukertomus. The touching story is orchestrated by Timo Forsström and the nuanced vocals are by Juntunen. On the album, he performs another slightly different Christmas story, Joni Mitchell's River. It is played by saxophonist Heikki Summanen.
The funny Santa story The Night Before Christmas by the American Randol Alan Bass was recorded as a special feature. The piece describes the goat's waiting and visit instrumentally in a handsome American style. Pertti Repose's fine Finnish translation is called Jouluaattoyö, and the part of the narrator is performed on the album by Helena Juntunen.
The album's orchestral numbers also feature fresh Finnish music. Horn player and composer Timo Forsström is responsible for the album's title song with his new work Snow Angels. Ilari Hylkilä's atmospheric My Christmas Dream was recorded as another domestic piece. The more traditional section is represented by Tchaikovsky's Miniature Overture from the Nutcracker ballet. So why did you decide to record a Christmas album specifically, aren't there already enough of them on the market? "There are indeed many Christmas carol records, but not many Christmas carols in Finnish have been recorded specifically with a brass band," says chief conductor Ruusuvuori. "At the same time, we get to highlight new wind orchestra compositions and wind music in general. In connection with the Christmas concerts, physical records are also still bought, so hopefully this great novelty record of wind music will find its way into many boxes. I am very satisfied with the end result!"
Despite the challenging times, the recording of the album was great. Despite the slight tension, we were relieved that we finally got to do what we did best, play together and, of course, also meet colleagues.
The Helsinki Police Band, a symphonic brass band, is a professional orchestra over 70 years old consisting of 43 musicians. It represents the police through music at various events both nationally and internationally and is especially known for its versatility. In addition to symphonic wind music, the concerts include folk music, jazz, rock, pop and children's music. In addition to concerts, the orchestra and its small ensembles perform at events for the police and its stakeholders.
Helena Juntunen is one of Finland's brightest and most successful sopranos. He began his vocal studies at the Oulu Conservatory and graduated with a master's degree in music from the Sibelius Academy, where he studied under Anita Välk. Juntunen's singing career took off after he won the Timo Mustakallio singing competition in 2000 and the Lappeenranta singing competition in 2002. In the same year, he also sang the role of Margaretha at the Savonlinna Opera Festival. The role became his international breakthrough. Since 2003, Juntus has been heard in opera houses and concert stages around the world. He made his debut at New York's Carnegie Hall in 2003. In 2006, he was awarded the Karita Mattila award.
Tenor Mika Pohjonen belongs to the star guard of the Finnish opera sky. He has been a soloist member of the Finnish National Opera since 2003. In addition to his opera career, Mika Pohjonen has performed as a soloist in several symphony orchestras around the world, but traditional Christmas concerts and spiritual church concerts are also an important part of his repertoire. Before his opera career, Mika Pohjonen came to the attention of the general public by winning the tango kingship of the Seinäjoki Tango Market in 1992, with the jury giving him the best possible score. With the win, he was a perennial favorite of Finnish dance stages for six years and recorded seven long-playing albums during that time.
Chief conductor Sami Ruusuvuori has been the artistic director of the Helsinki Police Band since 2012. Previously, he worked as the conductor of the Kaarti Band and as the chief conductor of the Defense Forces Conscript Band. His extensive expertise extends not only to classical music but also to rhythm music. In addition to orchestra tours and conducting visits around the world, Ruusuvuori has also served on the jury of numerous international competitions. As a teacher, he has worked at the Sibelius Academy and several master classes. In addition to his main work, Ruusuvuori is doing doctoral studies in orchestra conducting at the Sibelius Academy with the topic "European symphonic brass band music from the 20th century to the present day".
