The Bell Choir of Finland

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Ithaca hills came alive with the sound of music from the Dolce Handbellchoir tour group from Kuopio, Finland. Our church had agreed to host these young people and their chaperones for two nights. We were their very first stop and concert in America!

After arriving from Finland at JFK, and spending the night in a NYC hostel (not so good, we were told), they piled into 2 large vans, and with a rental truck to carry their bells and the foam pads they use for the bells when performing, they made their way to Ithaca. I was impressed that the airline did not lose any of their luggage or their bells!

After the girls had a short practice session, Tom & I took our two guests to the lake for an American style picnic and to sleep on the boat. Who knew that the weather would be so awful? Although it didn't actually rain, it was very damp, cold, and windy. Good thing Sanni and her Mom Ritva were tired enough to sleep anywhere! They were troopers and put up with our windy dinner and the cramped quarters on the boat. Thanks go to Brad & Ellen for allowing Tom & I to use their boat for the night.

Wednesday AM was not much brighter- here we are getting ready to head out for the day.

















Tom & I volunteered to be tour guides on Wednesday, and we led them around the Ithaca area- the Cornell bell tower, ( the tower has 21 bells that are played by hand & foot by the designated chimemaster); Sage chapel on campus where they performed a beautiful impromptu hymn, singing in Finnish; the many gorges and waterfalls; then to lunch at Taughannock Falls.



And then we asked the girls what they wanted to do next. "Shopping" was the unanimous response- so we let them loose in the mall. After a wonderful dinner of fried chicken and apple pie, the girls and their director entertained a full church with their beautiful music.

We did take pity on Sanni & Ritva, and we took them home to sleep Wednesday night.

Today they are on their way to Buffalo, where they will perform, then they are headed to Pittsburgh, Virginia Beach, Washington, DC, Philadelphia and a tour of Malmark where their bells were all made, and finally back to NYC for the trip home. We wish them all safe and fun traveling and hope everyone who hears their music enjoys it as much as we did!