Ship Toivo Oulu’s Farewell Festival
Juha Pisto's & Katariina Vuori's Narrative Musical Work Performed by TerwaTrio
Concert & Video Production
Project Overview
The Hailuoto Music Festival 2021 commemorated the 150th anniversary of the launch of Toivo Oulu, the largest sailing ship ever built in Oulu, Finland, through a narrated musical drama: Laiva Toivo Oulun lykkäjäiset.
Commissioned by Oulu-based merchant and councilor J.W. Snellman Gerhardsson (1809–1881), Toivo was a symbol of the region’s maritime heritage. Jaakko Haataja (1846–1918), who served as Toivo’s second mate for a year, later wrote the lyrics to the renowned Toivon laulu (The Song of Toivo).
The music drama’s script was penned by award-winning author and archaeologist Katariina Vuori, a specialist in the golden age of sailing ships. The performance featured the TerwaTrio, a group of three accomplished Oulu-based musicians: soprano Virve Karén, clarinetist Mika Ryhtä, and pianist Sanna Smolander. Composer Juha Pisto contributed a selection of sailor songs, specially arranged and composed for the ensemble.
Sound design and maritime-inspired audio effects were crafted by Jukka Ruohomäki, adding depth to the narrative, while the introduction was delivered by narrator Paavo Impiö. The production was directed by Jenni Kinnunen, a music pedagogue from Muhos and the artistic director of the Northern Opera Company, whose expertise brought the drama to life.
Services Involved
My Role & Contributions
As the producer of the video production, I oversaw the recording, mixing, mastering, filming, editing, and producing the drama.
Visuals
To immerse the listener into the maritime theme, I captured evocative footage of Hailuoto’s shores for B-roll and restored the historic ship Toivo Oulu painting for the intro and ending, in which it is animated as a sort of “ghost ship from history,” superimposed on the horizon.
Ship Toivo Oulu in the horizon, transitioning into the start of the musical performance © Eero Karvonen
The drama started with introducing the team; names written against the blue sky.
In the end, the translucent ship gradually ceases to wobble and solidifies to the restored painting before the end credits. The videoclips from the beginning and end were also licensed for the same group performing the drama at the Oulu Music Centre later on.
Ship Toivo Oulu solidifying in the end © Eero Karvonen
Historical Photographs
I featured selected photographs from a museum’s collection, delivered to me by Jukka Ruohomäki, ensuring the visual and historical elements were seamlessly present in the project.
See the Full Production
Below you can see the fully produced video of the performance. The project spawned thematic continuation next year as TerwaTrio presented a narrated concert, In Jeanette Snellman’s Salon, at the Hailuoto Music Festival.
In Memory of Jukka Ruohomäki (1947–2022)
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