Events 2010

Afternoon concert at Burgh House, Hampstead

21 November 2010

We arranged a concert by two Finnish musicians, Hanna Niemelä (viola) and Maija Väisänen (piano) who played works by Brahms, Britten and Franck. The event was arranged to coincide with an exhibition of work by the London Finnish Art Group to celebrate their 2oth anniversary.

Working in Parliament – Finnish Perspective

21 October 2010

Gary Klaukka worked as a researcher for Baroness D’Souza in the House of Lords and gave us an insight into what is involved and how such work differs from procedures in the Finnish parliament.

Hel Yes!

23 September 2010

Hel Yes! was Finland’s contribution to the London Design Festival. It was produced by the Finnish Institute as part of its Arts and Culture programme in conjunction with the Embassy. About a dozen members of the Society met for dinner and enjoyed the special designs for the event which included uniforms for the waiting staff designed by Heikki Salonen, menus overseen by the chef Antto Melasniemi including foraged ingredients and designs for lighting and furnishings by Klaus Haapaniemi and others.

Heavy Metal – the new Finnish folk music?

18 May 2010

Dr Titus Hjelm, lecturer in Finnish Society and Culture at the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies, who is also the bassist in the power metal band, Thunderstone discussed the “Finnishness” of Finnish metal music with many illustrations of different bands embodying the different sub-genres of Finnish metal music.

A showing of two films about the music of Sibelius

13 April 2010

AGM held at the House of Commons

4 March 2010

Thanks to Sir Patrick Cormack, then Chairman of the British-Finnish All-Party Parliamentary Group, we were able to hold our AGM in one of the Committee Rooms at the House of Commons. This was followed by a Reception and, as the House was not sitting, Sir Patrick offered a tour of the House. We split into two groups and while Sir Patrick took one group to the Commons debating chamber, Viscount Craigavon led the other group to the Lords and the groups then changed over.

The Work of Eva Ryynänen (1915-2001)

18 March 2010

Ron and Marjatta Akhurst gave a talk illustrated with many photographs of the life and work of Eva Ryynänen. She was one of the foremost sculptors working in wood, often using massive whole tree trunks. Ryynänen’s studio and the chapel which she built have become a popular attraction in North Karelia.

Craftsmen, sailors, housemaids, spies – Finns in Europe

19 January 2010

Marjatta Bell drew on her research into migration from Finland and told us about some of the interesting and colourful characters who have come and settled in Britain and the rest of Europe since the middle ages.