Blog Archives

Es kommt

Posted on 14 December 2022 by Kate Sotejeff-Wilson — Leave a comment

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, not that one, that’s not for a few weeks yet. Advent, the waiting. And who does Advent best? I’ve said it before – the Germans, of course. I haven’t lived in…

The snow banks are high, the snow drifts deep

Posted on 18 December 2019 by Kate Sotejeff-Wilson — Leave a comment

Christmas is almost here. Deep snow drifts is what we want, but will we get them? At least we can sing about them. My choir sang this carol by Jean Sibelius at our Christmas concert this year. We do not…

Tagged with: Christmas, Christmas Carols, Finland, Finnish, On hanget korkeat nietokset, Sibelius, Translation
Posted in Christmas, music, translation

Come into the story

Posted on 11 March 2019 by Kate Sotejeff-Wilson — Leave a comment

I’m on the way home from Gdańsk, from the choral festival which my choir achieved silver in the equal-voice category yesterday – we are thrilled. For the competition we had to sing two songs in our own language and two…

Tagged with: Finland, Finnish, international, music, Pentti Linkola, Poetry, Sirkka Turkka, Translation, Tule kanssani satuun
Posted in international, music, poetry, translation

Oh, to be in Finland, now December’s there

Posted on 19 December 2018 by Kate Sotejeff-Wilson — 2 Comments

It’s too warm. It should be colder – a lot colder. It’s unseasonable. It’s beautiful, delightful, but it all feels wrong. It’s just all a bit too much, not cosy enough, not delicate enough, perhaps? Things should be the same,…

The Fox’s Carol

Posted on 21 December 2017 by Kate Sotejeff-Wilson — Leave a comment

The year is about to turn – it is the shortest day. From here on in, the light returns, the days get longer. But when it’s this dark (for 19 hours a day, where I live), you have a better…

Tagged with: Christmas Carols, Finland 100, Finnish, folklore, Fox, Kanteletar, Ketun joululaulu, Mia Makaroff, Rajaton, Suomi100, Translation
Posted in Christmas, Folklore, music, translation

the carol that travelled

Posted on 21 December 2016 by Kate Sotejeff-Wilson — 18 Comments

This is one of the most beloved carols in the Nordic countries, but the tune is from Central Europe and it has travelled across the Atlantic in English translations. So why haven’t you heard of it yet? Maybe it’s because…

the language is yours, cherish it

Posted on 11 July 2016 by Kate Sotejeff-Wilson — Leave a comment

This week’s number one, slaying Justine Timberlake and Adele, is a song in te reo Māori. What a fantastic end to the 40th Maori Language Week in New Zealand. Here’s the karaoke version of Maimoatia/Cherish it by the team at Pūkana (a…

Tagged with: Aotearoa, Cherish it, Maimoatia, Maori, Maori Language Week, New Zealand, Pūkana & Whānau, te reo Māori, Welsh
Posted in international, language, music, translation, words

Sing your heart out at the football: Calon lân

Posted on 6 July 2016 by Kate Sotejeff-Wilson — Leave a comment

Wales will be singing tonight as they play Portugal in the Euro 2016 football semi-final. And they will be singing this song: According to the BBC, it only takes half an hour to learn the words to calon lân, which means a…

Tagged with: Calon lân, Euro 2016, football, Gwyrosydd, John Hughes, Rees Harris, Translation, Wales, Welsh
Posted in international, language, music, translation

Jamala: Crimean Tatar in translation

Posted on 16 May 2016 by Kate Sotejeff-Wilson — Leave a comment

Eurovision 2016, almost everyone is singing in English (even the French!!!) and a Crimean Tatar wins, singing the chorus in a language that isn’t even available on Google Translate. Because she sings with passion about her people, who were forcibly…