| Akademiska Sångföreningen | |
|---|---|
| The Academic Male Voice Choir of Helsinki | |
Insignia |
|
| Type: | Male voice student choir |
| Tied to: | University of Helsinki |
| Founder: | Fredrik Pacius |
| Founding year: | 1838 |
| Based in: | Helsinki, Finland |
| Key people | |
| Conductor: | Kari Turunen |
| President: | Kasper Sundström |
| Vice president: | Emil Floman |
Akademiska Sångföreningen (Swedish pronunciation: [akaˈdeːmiska ˈsoŋfœreːniŋen]) or in English The Academic Male Voice Choir of Helsinki (colloquially known as Akademen and abbreviated AS) is a Finland-Swedish male voice student choir based in Helsinki, Finland.[1] The choir was founded in 1838 (at the latest)[2] by Fredrik Pacius, music teacher at the Imperial Alexander University of Finland (now University of Helsinki) and known as "the father of Finnish music",[3] and is thus the oldest Finnish choir still in existence.[3][4]
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During the 19th century Akademiska Sångföreningen became an important symbol of national awakening in the emerging Finnish nation, at the time part of the Russian empire as the Grand Duchy of Finland. On 13 May 1848,[5] Pacius' composition Vårt land (Our Land), set to the poem by Johan Ludvig Runeberg, was performed for the first time by Akademiska Sångföreningen during the students' celebration of the Flora Day. The composition was later to become the national anthem of the independent Finnish nation.
In the 1850s and 60s, elite triple quartets (so-called sångartolfvor, literally singer twelves) from within the choir's ranks participated in raising the funds necessary to build what is nowadays called the Old Student House in Helsinki (Gamla studenthuset in Swedish, Vanha ylioppilastalo in Finnish), by travelling the country performing.[6] The Old Student House was finished in 1870,[7] and it is still the place where the choir has its office and where practice takes place once a week.
During the second half of the 20th century, the choir, led by conductor and composer Erik Bergman, came to carve out new paths for the male voice tradition in Finland, in proving that said form of music is able to exhibit superior musical qualities. After Bergman, composer Henrik Otto Donner carried on this tradition, even though circumstances were less than optimal.
In end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 80s the choir was engaged in lighter types of music, though without lowering the quality. The À la Carte concerts in Finlandia Hall were successful and, when necessary, members of the choir would compose pieces of music themselves.
During the 20th century the choir has had several prominent conductors – Bengt Carlson, Nils-Eric Fougstedt, Erik Bergman, Henrik Otto Donner, Markus Westerlund, Eric-Olof Söderström, Tom Eklundh, John Schultz and Henrik Wikström have all conducted the choir.[8][9] Present conductor M.Mus. Kari Turunen has led the choir since the autumn term of 2008.
| Previous conductors[8][9] | ||
|---|---|---|
| From | To | Name |
| 1838 | 1846 | Fredrik Pacius |
| 1846 | 1850 | August Lindelöf |
| 1850 | 1857 | Temporary conductors |
| 1857 | 1860 | Gustaf Magnus Cederhvarf |
| 1860 | 1864 | Henrik Gustaf Borenius |
| 1864 | 1865 | Johannes Edvard Pacius |
| 1865 | 1866 | Uno Kurtén |
| 1866 | 1868 | Lorentz Nikolai Achté |
| 1868 | 1869 | Nils Peter Paldani |
| 1870 | 1871 | Martin Wegelius |
| 1871 | 1872 | Lorentz Nikolai Achté |
| 1872 | 1873 | David Hahl |
| 1873 | 1876 | Martin Wegelius |
| 1876 | 1879 | Gösta Sohlström |
| 1879 | Oscar Mechelin | |
| 1880 | Nils Kiljander | |
| 1880 | Werner Holmberg | |
| 1881 | Edvard Rindell | |
| 1882 | Oscar W. Moberg | |
| 1882 | 1884 | Interregnum |
| 1884 | Arthur Relander | |
| 1885 | 1892 | Carl von Knorring |
| 1893 | 1894 | Emil Leander |
| 1894 | Carl von Knorring | |
| 1895 | Uno Öller | |
| 1896 | 1899 | Gösta Sohlström |
| 1899 | 1902 | Carl von Knorring |
| 1902 | 1903 | Lennart Hallman |
| 1903 | 1904 | Kurt Ångelin |
| 1904 | 1905 | Lennart Hallman |
| 1905 | Vacant | |
| 1906 | Gustaf Mattsson | |
| 1906 | Vacant | |
| 1907 | 1908 | Alarik Uggla |
| 1908 | 1909 | Thure Sandelin |
| 1909 | 1911 | Gösta Enckell |
| 1911 | 1912 | Emil Leander |
| 1912 | 1915 | Ragnar Hollmérus |
| 1915 | 1920 | Olof Wallin |
| 1920 | 1946 | Bengt Carlson |
| 1946 | 1950 | Nils-Eric Fougstedt |
| 1950 | 1969 | Erik Bergman |
| 1969 | 1976 | Henrik Otto Donner |
| 1976 | 1983 | Markus Westerlund |
| 1983 | 1985 | Eric-Olof Söderström |
| 1985 | 1990 | Tom Eklundh |
| 1990 | 1997 | John Schultz and |
| Henrik Wikström | ||
| 1997 | 2008 | Henrik Wikström |
| 2008 | – | Kari Turunen |
Being the oldest male voice choir in Finland, Akademiska Sångföreningen has always cared particularly for the classical Finnish male voice repertoire. Among the composers whose compositions form part of the choir's standard repertoire are honorary members[10] Jean Sibelius, Selim Palmgren and Erik Bergman, as well as fellow composers Toivo Kuula and Leevi Madetoja.[11] Furthermore, being a Finland-Swedish organization, the choir has always seen it as a natural and important task to champion the Swedish-speaking minority culture in Finland. Hence, the standard repertoire encompasses not only choral works of Finnish and Finland-Swedish origin, but also many works of Swedish origin, for example by honorary member Hugo Alfvén.[10][11]
As implied by its name, the choir is a student choir, and like its Helsinki sister choir Akademiska Damkören Lyran (The Academic Female Voice Choir Lyran) an independent so-called musikkorporation (music corporate body), formally tied to the University of Helsinki and subject to its rector. The choir presently has about 50 active members, many of which are university students. Concerts are given regularly in Finland, and the choir travels abroad frequently. On top of many European countries, the choir has been on tour in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States.[12]
Particularly in recent years, the choir has devoted itself to actively producing records, explicitly in order to document high quality male voice choir repertoire in Swedish. Apart from Swedish, the choir also sings in the parody language Transpiranto on the record Happi kvam pippi, which was released in 2006. The second most recent record, Hymn to Finland, was produced by Swedish label BIS Records and documents works for male voice choir by founder Fredrik Pacius. The record was released on 19 March 2009, the 200th anniversary of Pacius' birth.
The choir maintains contacts with other similar choirs, in Finland in particular with male voice student choirs Brahe Djäknar in Turku and Ylioppilaskunnan Laulajat (YL Male Voice Choir) in Helsinki, and in Sweden especially with Orphei Drängar in Uppsala, Stockholms Studentsångare in Stockholm, Linköpings Studentsångarförening Lihkören in Linköping and Lunds Studentsångförening in Lund.
Ever since 1954,[13] the choir has collaborated actively with its sister choir Akademiska Damkören Lyran. The two choirs give several traditional annual concerts together.
The following records have been released since 1988 (Julen vi minns and Julstämning together with Akademiska Damkören Lyran):[14]