TOIVO KUULA (1883-1918): for Chorus and Orchestra: Hymn of the Sea, Op. 11/1 (arr. Leevi Madetoja [1887-1947]), March of the Club Warriors, Op. 28/4a, Festive March (two versions - for Orchestra and for Brass Ensemble, Op. 5 (Guards' Brass Ensemble; Raine Ampuja), I Rock My Echo, Op. 11/6, Song of the Sepulchre, Op. 11/5, Festive Cantata for Choir, Baritone, Organ and Piano (Esa Ruuttunen [baritone], Markku Hietaharju [organ], Pasi Helin [piano]), for Chorus: Lullaby, Op. 11/4, Melody, Op. 29b/1.

Description: The large-scale, 27-minute Festive Cantata was Kuula's first major work, from 1903, and makes its use of piano and organ sound far more orchestral and impressive than you might think. This work is quasi-sacred, written for the 600th anniversary of the church near the composer's home town but the rest are nationalistic or nature-inspired, in the tradition of the many such choral and choral/orchestral works Sibelius wrote through out his life. Finnish-English texts. Chorus Catheralis Aboensis; Temo Lehtovaara, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra; Petri Sakari. SACD hybrid