I am excited to join you all and begin my musical work and development at the Anglican Church of Finland.
During the course of the summer, we are beginning to implement music back into the service in various forms after a significant and lengthy absence due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Music is worship. For many people, it is the most intimate and powerful expression of their faith.
It is in this spirit of faith and worship that I am collaborating with the broader musical and artistic community in Helsinki and inviting them to join in the services at the Anglican Church of Finland.
The presence of guest musicians at our services will serve two fundamental purposes: to assist the existing choral community to reach their highest individual and collective potential and for the professional musicians to share, through their skill and expertise, their own experience of faith and reality with our congregation through their various art forms.
This collaboration is not one-sided. The grand musical tradition of the Anglican Church will be made alive with each performance and many in this city and country will be exposed to its sublime beauty and subtle power for the first time.
It is this circular collaboration that I hope to foster to the highest level possible at the Anglican Church of Finland thereby creating a spiritual, cultural, and musical exchange in this community and country.
Erik Johannes Riekko
Director of Music
