The Western news., 1904-12-14
SING ALL THE WHILE
THE FiNNS INDULGE IN SONG IN AND
OUT OF SEASON..
From Noble to Peasant and From the
City Lady 10 the Woman Who Works
In the Field the People May BE Said
to Form One Vast Choral Society.

In the Field the People May BE Said
to Form One Vast Choral Society.
In the palatial supper room of the
great hotel in Helsingfors, the capital
of Finland-the best hotel in Russia.
for the Films represent all that is most
progressive in the ears $ empire-a COM
pany of ladies and gentlemen seated
at one of the tables suddenly began
singing. With trained voices they sang
q four part folk lore song of the north
land. Never heard I song so deeply
melancholy. 1t was the music of the
unhappiest of the enlightened peoples
Of the ear,l.
That was on my first evening in Fin
land. From that time forth through
out stay of four weeks among those
sad hearted people l listened to their
singing morning noon and night al
most continuously. The Germans sing
a great deal. the owedes sing part OF
the time. the Russians sing most Of the
time, but the Firms as nation actu-
ally sing all the time.
From noble to peasant, the men OF
Finland may be said to form one
mighty male chorus From the great
lady of the capital city to the lowly
woman who builds houses with her
own hands on the borders Of L4apland
the women Of Finland may be said to
comprise one vast choral society. The
acknowledged finest singing society in
Europe is indeed the Helsingfors male
chorus. 1t is composed of 100 mem
bers, and from their ranks are recruit
ed the singing teachers Of the country.
Singing festivals as held by the
Firms are on a scale unequaled in any
other country. Five thousand singers
gathered ono night in the public square
in HelSingfOrS to serenade Il Finnish
artist named Rosenfeld. whose picture
had been awarded first prize at the To-
cal salon. In a city that IS a surprise
to all travellers. near the arctic circle.
many miles from railroad. the city
Of Uleaborg, 1000 school children gath
cred in the park in front Of the hotel
and for half an hour, for the travellers
benefit, filled the air with the music
of the snow wilderness, with songs
that told of the vast loneliness Of the
country beyond the city.
Once in Helsingfors 10000 voices
Joined in chorus to sing the national
anthem. 1t was an improvised chorus,
but the singing was r no means the
harum scarum, 81 please sort,
but thorough u into four
parts and exc with precision.
| This incident W described to me by
the man in whose honor the great Choir
| us gathered. Said he:
II was one of the first persons ever
exiled from that part Of the czar's
domain. My departure from Helsing-
fors was the occasion Of public dem
onstration Of surprising solemnity.
Ten thousand persons gathered ut the
railway station to say goodby. The
crowd watched the leave taking in alb
solute silence, but as the train began
to move 10000 heads were uncovered,
and 10000 voices began singing the na-
tional anthem. And this scene was re-
peated-with fewer singers, of course
at every railroad station all the way
to the port where I took steamer for
America"
These singing Films do not always
sing their folk lore songs or their pa
triotic anthems. They are deeply re-
ligious people, mostly Lutherans, and
each town has its special choir for
singing nothing but hymns. went to
the largest church in the country to
hear the singing of choir Of nearly Il
hundred male voices. The grandest
cathedral organ never produced music
of such ma iesty and power as did that
choir which included the most won
derful bass voices in Russia.
Even the companies Of Finnish
guards. though differed by Russians
sang the Finnish anthem as they
marched past the hotel every morning
on the way to relieve the old guard
The Russian officers once tried to put
a stop to the singing Of the Finnish
: national song by the soldiers, but the
; discomfort among the men became sc
, apparent that singing was again per
mitted.
Thus wherever the Firms get togeth
or they burst into song. When they
cannot get together they sing individu
ally. The housewife preparing thu
,, cabbage soup sings. The farmer plow
ing his field In summer or journeyins
long distances ON snowshoes In thu
: winter sings at the top of his voice
Whenever passed one Of the men II
the lonely districts in charge Of hert
Of reindeer he was singing. In tn
posthouses, where the traveller Is shel
tered overnight, the servants gathe
when their days work Is done and joil
their voices in the chorus.
! This constant singing Is regarded b,
all students of Finnish life as an i'm
= portant national influence. The effec
Of so much music in the nations sou
II seen in the emotional side Of tn
peoples nature and has its concret
= form in ready sympathy that bind
the Firms together as one family. eac