The third and final volume in this anthology from the Finnish hymn-book includes, as did the previous discs (BIS-CD-1149 and 1349), internationally known and loved religious tunes such as Holy, holy, holy!, Felix Mendelssohn’s Praise the Lord and How great thou art (recorded by, among others, Elvis Presley!). But alongside these multi-national expressions of faith, there are also examples spanning the past 150 years of a purely Finnish hymn tradition. In all, 19 different religious songs have furnished 7 different arrangers (including conductor Osmo Vänskä himself) with the material for elaborate and often luscious orchestral versions.Pieces included on this CD:
Symphonic Suite Op. 14 (Vk 40, 490, 88 & 134; Jaakko Kuusisto); When safe in God (Vk 397, arr. Osmo Vänskä); We praise Thee, O God (Vk 126; arr. Kari Tikka); O Lord, I may dwell in thy hand (Vk 126, arr. Jaakko Kuusisto); Quasimodogeniti (Vk 600 & 461; arr. Kari Tikka); Thanks to God (Vk 341 a+b; arr. Olli Kortekangas); I am a lowly worm, a traveller (Vk 622; arr. Ilkka Kuusisto); In thee I trust, my God (Vk 382, arr. Harri Ahmas); Zion called the peoples of the earth (Vk 421; arr. Harri Ahmas); Halleluja, praise the Lord (Vk 133; arr. Ilkka Kuusisto); Arise, my soul (Vk 632 arr. Kalevi Aho); Fear not, O people of God (Vk 176; arr. Osmo Vänskä); Evening has come, my Creator (Vk 563; arr. Harri Ahmas); How great thou art (arr. Jaakko Kuusisto)