Jean Sibelius - Two Songs for Mixed Choir, Op. 65 (1912)

Jean Sibelius (born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 1865 – 20 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often credited with having helped Finland develop a stronger national identity when the country was struggling from several attempts at Russification in the late 19th century.

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Two Songs for Mixed Choir, Op. 65 (1911-12)

1. Män från slätten och havet - People of Land and Sea (0:00)
Librettist: Ernst Viktor Knape (1873-1929)

2. The Bells of Kallio Church (4:46)
Librettist: Heikki Klemetti (1876-1953)

Jubilate Choir conducted by Astrid Riska

Sibelius wrote Two Songs for Mixed Choir, Op. 65 for the Music Committee of Svenska Folkskolans Vänner, a Swedish‑speaking educational organization. in Vaasa and for the carillon of a newly built Kallio Church in Helsinki. The first piece was intended for the 1912 Vaasa singing festival, and the second was originally set for that church’s carillon before being arranged for mixed choir.

About 1,300 singers sang in the final concert; initially performed with string accompaniment due to its polyphonic difficulty.