Arto Järvelä
At Our House
Arto Järvelä came from Finland to Chicago to be a fiddler-in-residence at the Old Town School of Folk Music for the month of September 2009. He was given a room at the Tyler house on Kostner Avenue, and quickly became part of the family. What great music we had, matched by deeply interesting cultural exchange and marvelous conversation. Patsy (the dog) got the best part, as Arto spoke to her daily in Suomi. What secrets he told her, she has not yet shared. Here's some of the music played in our living room.
The sound of Arto's nyckleharpa still resonates in our living room.
- Hellstrand 1990, composed upon the occasion of his purchase of the instrument
- Kostner Avenue Waltz, newly composed (YouTube video includes a shot of Patsy the dog.)
- [For a performance on fiddle, see below.]
- Hans Lankerin sotiisi, rehearsed and then performed at a concert at Little Prairie Farm in Lagrange, Wisconsin on September 19. (YouTube video)
One day, Steve Rosen came over to give Arto a clawhammer banjo lesson and learn some tunes. Arto introduced us to the purppuri (potpourri or suite) of eleven tunes traditionally played at a wedding in Kaustinen and nearby Ostrobothnian villages.
In Residence at the Old Town School of Folk Music
Arto Järvelä began his stay with a workshop on Archaic Finnish Tunes and ended it with another on Modern Finnish Tunes. Here are some highlights from those workshops, plus the tunes he taught at the various Fiddle Classes he visited each week.
-
Archaic Finnish Tunes workshop
- polska no 1 in D Dorian
- polska no 2 in D Dorian
- Minuet after Matti Haudanmaa, from Matti Haudanmaa Paul Tyler's Fiddle 3 & Fiddle 4
- Pollonesa no 8, from Maria Spoof
- Rahapolska, from Erkki Metsapelto
- Rahapolska duet
- Masurkka from Erajarvi
- Hultiahon sotiisi, from Erkki Metsapelto
- Hultiahon sotiisi duet (tunes presented, but not taught)
- Arttun polkka, from Arttu Peltokangas
- Sormi (Finger) polska Colby Maddox's Fiddle Improvisation
- Brud (Wedding) polkka, from Edward Öst
- Wikströmin aatun stigare
-
Walter Hojka's Music Skills for Fiddlers
- Syralan Heikias Maito polkka (Milk Polka), from Heikki Syrjälä
- Maalarin Frannsin sotiisi
- Maalarin frannsin sotiisi harmony
- Stuntar valsin, from Torsten Pärus & Valter Enlund Old-Time Ensemble
- Henry Fordin sotiisi in G, from Arttu Peltokangas
- Henry Fordin sotiisi in D, from Arttu Peltokangas
- Henry Fordin sotiisi in G duet Maria McCullough's Fiddle 3
- Friarvalsin, from Torsten Pärus & Valter Enlund
- Koputus polkka
- Sangknarren Modern Finnish Tunes workshop
- Kolhon polska, from Otto Hotakainen
- Kissakallion Ylitys (original)
- Kostner Avenue Waltz, on fiddle
Some Odds & Ends from September 2009
For the First Friday dance at the School, we tried our hand at the Huutokatrilli, the called quadrille that culminates the Saturday night program at the Kaustinen Folk Festival. Arto's band, JPP, arranged and recorded a medley of old Finnish quadrille tunes for the event. Also, During his stay, Arto became a member of the Fantastic Toe Trippers Orchestra. He taught us these tunes as we rehearsed in the garden at St. Matthias Church.
-
First Friday Huutokatrilli or "night quadrille"
- as danced in Helsinki in 2009. Part 1. Part 2. Music by JPP (YouTube video)
- Huutokatrilli
rehearsal, with Walter Hojka on piano.
I called the dance for 8 to 10 couples later that night. - Huutokatrilli,
as
danced in Chicago, music by Arto & Walter Hojka
(YouTube video - Thanks to Lynn Garren)
-
Fantastic Toe Trippers rehearsal
- Friarvalsin, a waltz from Torsten Parus & Valter Enlund
- Johannes Järvelä sotiisi a schottische played by his grandfather
- Raatikko, a tune I learned from
Hoijakat,
the dance group at the Finnish Cultural Center in Detroit.