Espoo invites the city’s children to a joint Independence Day celebration for sixth-graders for the tenth time on 4 December
Espoo’s sixth-graders will gather at the Opinmäki campus on 4 December to celebrate the independence day of Finland for the tenth time. This celebration, which has become a tradition, was first held in 2017, when Finland celebrated the 100th anniversary of its independence.
This anniversary year, music, togetherness and a festive atmosphere will play a central role in the sixth-graders’ Independence Day celebration. The music at the main celebration will be performed by the Helsinki Police Symphonic Band, while before the event, guests will also have the opportunity to hear young musicians from Juvenalia Music Institute.
-Juvenalia Music Institute is delighted to be part of this year’s celebration of the sixth-graders’ special occasion in honour of Finland’s Independence Day. The music institute’s JUPO wind orchestra will welcome the arriving pupils with festive and uplifting music. As a special feature this year, we will also provide live music during the cocktail reception to add to the festive atmosphere. It is particularly wonderful that the guests will get to hear music performed by young people their own age, as the wind orchestra consists of both comprehensive school and upper secondary students, says Sanna Saarinen, Principal of Juvenalia Music Institute.
According to Sami Ruusuvuori, Chief Conductor of the Helsinki Police Symphonic Band, the Independence Day celebration combines a sense of occasion with the joy of doing things together. Alongside Sibelius’s Finlandia and the Finnish national anthem Maamme, the programme will feature music by contemporary composers. The dances will range from waltzes and the letkajenkka to familiar pop classics.
-It is important for the police to be part of children’s lives during positive moments too, not only in emergencies. This day is sure to be a memorable experience for Espoo’s children that will stay with them for a long time, says Sami Ruusuvuori.
The celebration will conclude with Espoo’s own song, Yhdessä ollaan enemmän (“Together We Are More”), whose title also sums up the spirit of the entire day.
Three celebrations will be held during the day, with a total of nearly 4,000 pupils and their teachers taking part. Each event will begin with a celebratory toast, after which the pupils will greet representatives of the City of Espoo. The programme will also include speeches as well as dancing and singing together.