O Jesus, Draw in My Heart
Traditional Hymns in Sámi by Anna Näkkäläjärvi-Länsman & Raimo Paaso
Music CD Production
Project Overview
The CD Čále, Jesus, iežat gova (O Jesus, Draw in My Heart) features eight ancient hymns from the Northern Sámi hymnbook, performed in a traditional Sámi style by Anna Näkkäläjärvi-Länsman (Ánnámáret). This year-and-a-half-long project was a collaboration with Raimo Paaso, an Oulu-based cantor, who envisioned delicate organ accompaniments. The album was recorded over the course of a week in the northernmost church in Finland, in Utsjoki.
Näkkäläjärvi-Länsman’s fascination with Sámi hymn-singing began in her youth when she was moved by elderly women singing hymns at a funeral. Since then, she has studied the tradition extensively and performed in this style at various concerts and events.
Services Involved
My Role & Contributions
I was entrusted with recording the album and overseeing the executive production for its commissioner, the Diocese of Oulu.
The recording took place in two acoustically isolated locations within the church: the singer performed in the priest’s room, while the organist played in the balcony. Both could hear each other through headphones, allowing flexibility in the editing phase to select the best takes of vocals and organ accompaniment. The editing process involved fine-tuning the vocals and blending them with the organ, resulting in a unique, intimate soundscape that has been praised for its natural-sounding quality.
Photographer and graphic designer Päkä Rehu created stunning visuals of the artist duo at Utsjoki Church and designed the album cover and booklet. See the promotional photo and behind-the-scenes material in the gallery below.
The album was released exclusively as a limited-edition CD. Since its release, its tracks have been featured annually on Finnish Broadcasting Company radio channels.
