Day 7 - Sightseeing In Helsinki

June 30, 2019 | EnsTour Blogger

The day began with a continental breakfast in the hostel before we departed on foot to a waterfront market. The streets were relatively empty as we wound our way past stores and restaurants and up the many steps to see the main cathedral of Helsinki, a white giant at the top of the square. Singers ran up the stairs with youthful energy before posing for a group photo.

At the market, lunch money was distributed to and boundaries were set for the kids to explore within. The Moomin Cafe was a popular destination. Erin showed her fun souvenirs of these beloved Finnish characters to friends in the square. Sarah, Bella, and Karina compared Finnish woodwork while Ozmar and Mia rocked new Helsinki bucket hats. Food reported back included fresh fried fish sandwiches and some ice cream. Khoa described his reindeer jerky as somewhat like venison.

After a walk back to the hostel in the height of Finnish summer heat, everyone spent some time resting before getting ready for the evening concert. We boarded our bus for the short ride to Espoon tuomiokirkko to rehearse for the concert under the beautifully frescoed ceiling and the lovely circular domed ceiling.

Before the concert, we had a quick pizza meal supplied by friends from the Tapiola Choir and the church. Alexandra led the way incorporating some of the Finnish singers with Ensemble members at dinner.

New songs for the tour concert series included “Winter is Past” conducted by Sue Bohlin along with favorites like “Jaakobin Pojat” and “Let the River Run.” Our claves went missing, so Liam improvised with a couple rocks borrowed from the church yard. The full audience demonstrated their appreciation with heartfelt applause throughout the sizeable program. Notably, Ensemble's performance of "Home to Me" was particularly moving and many audience members were teary-eyed during their applause. All in all, it was a wonderful concert, and the singers returned to the hostel to rest up for the next day.