SCHOLA SANCTI HENRICI
On the feast of Saint Henrik in 2001, Schola Sancti Henrici was performing in Rome, singing also in the presence of Pope St. John Paul II during an audience at the Vatican. The ensemble has also given concerts in Poland, Sweden, Estonia, Spain, Greece and Portugal. They have published two CDs, Patronus Finlandie in 2006 and Pyhän Henrikin legenda (‘the Legend of St. Henrik’) in 2014.
There are five singers in the ensemble; Jussi Hirvonen, Samuli Korkalainen, Samppa Laakso, Vesa Mäkeläinen and Hannu Vapaavuori. They all hold a Master’s degree in Church Music from the Sibelius Academy.
The Legend of Saint Henrik
Programme handout in English.
Duration, about an hour.
The Mass (and Vespers) of Saint Henrik
Programme handout in English.
Duration (as a concert), with Vespers about one hour and 20 minutes, only the Mass about 50 minutes.
Saint Henrik – Finland’s Patron Saint
For the evangelisation process to proceed smoothly, it was also necessary to institutionalise ecclesiastical life, and thus Henrik became the head of the new diocese of Turku and the first bishop of Finland. Thanks to his efforts, Finland entered the family of medieval Christian nations, laying the foundations for the development of the future character and identity of the Finns as a Christian people.
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The Gregorian repertoire about St. Henrik, performed also by Schola Sancti Henrici, is most likely written and composed in Turku in the fourteenth century.