Day 6 - Goodbye Jyväskylä, Hello Helsinki

June 29, 2019 | EnsTour Blogger

This morning began with a tearful goodbye between Ensemble and Vox Aurea. Before boarding the bus, Ensemble sang a beautiful rendition of “Homeward Bound” in a circle surrounding the Vox Aurea singers, which was followed by a performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Vox Aurea. Many tears were shed by singers from both choirs, and we were so sad to leave our wonderful hosts.

We then began our bus ride to Helsinki. On the bus, Bob and Eric rehearsed some new Estonian pieces with Ensemble to prepare for the Laulupidu next week. Upon arriving in Helsinki, we checked into our hostel and went over to the Sibelius monument. We ate a picnic lunch before experimenting with the different pipes on the monument and taking the quintessential group photo of the choir in front of the pipes. Ensemble sang “Miraposa” inside the pipes to the delight of the other tourists.

From the monument, we walked to the Oodi Central Library of Helsinki the library is newly constructed and had interesting gadgets, such as 3D printers, sewing machines, and virtual reality equipment, as well as a top floor with much open space, many books, and lots of light-filled seating areas where the kids could explore and relax.

From the library, we walked to a sushi restaurant, where we ate our dinner. Then, we headed back to our hostel, where the singers got ready for bed and rested up for the next day.