Words and Melodies – Letters from the City of Apple Blossoms to the Accompaniment of a Violin
Words and melodies –Evening socials will kick off the spring programme of events at the Kexholm Museum on Wednesday 28th January at 18:00. Actor Eero Saarinen touching letters and memoirs about the town of apple trees on the shores of Lake Ladoga and a violin teacher Eija Kananen The classical melodies of the violin weave together a unity of word and music that brings warmth and the memories of Karelian evacuees to wintery Heinola.
Words and Melodies is a sensitive and moving evening event that takes listeners back to a time when letters were a lifeline between separated loved ones. There is something enduring in these messages: human strength, comfort and warmth that also touches the listener of today.
The roots of the Words and Melodies event lie in the "Letter from Käkisalmi" texts from a writing competition organised by the Käkisalmi Foundation in 2008 to mark its 60th anniversary. In these letters, living memories of the lost Karelia, post-war longing and the rebuilding of life come alive. The experiences of the evacuees, homesickness and a resilient faith in life are sketched out in words that have been passed down from one generation to the next.
Eero Saarinen's experienced and calm voice gives the words weight and space, and the classical pieces by Finnish composers chosen by violinist Eija Kananen create a genuine atmosphere in the Ampiala Hall from the era before the wars – an era when music played in homes, at celebrations and on quiet evenings.
The total duration of the evenings is approximately an hour and a half. The programme consists of two parts in which readings and music alternate. During the interval, the museum café will serve the Cuckoo's Fledgling tasting platter with coffee, tea or another drink.
Tickets to the event and interval refreshments (20 + 5)€ are on sale in advance at Kahvila Käki and At Käkipuoti's online shop.
