It seems the "War against terrorism" now includes being careful of names you give to your children, as some unfortunate parents have found out - read this story at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4155482.stm
Dominante's autumn kicked off yesterday at 18 in Otaniemi. We have a very busy autumn ahead, including everything from Mendelssohn's fantastic "Elias" to a special concert aimed especially at small children to the trip to Tunisia in a month. Our "gala concert" in November will be a very interesting mixture of modern Finnish choral music and classics such as the Mendelssohn's psalm "Richte mich, Gott".
Our rehearsal time has doubled and with all the extra rehearsals and concerts I have weeks in my calendar with no less than five evenings packed with activity with Dominante. Our 30th year will draw to a close on the 15th of December at the Christmas concert, but unfortunately I will not be able to attend as I will probably still be coping from a near-40-hour/4-flight-trip to Ecuador.
One could also say that school started again today, because I was in Ruoholahti, using the computers to sign up for some of the theory subjects. There were only a precious few having lunch there, probably a sign that everyone is trying to still cling on to the vacations.
From there I went to the German school, which has turned into something resembling a spaceship because of its huge flatscreen displays all over the place, indicating major changes in the timetables or information for students/teachers. From there, it was a short way to Sulasol, where I got myself some music (Jaakko Mäntyjärvi's "Four Shakespears Songs" which are also part of our programme).
Most of the afternoon and evening was spent with Sonja, first in Kiasma, where we only managed to have a coffee before the museum suddenly closed, then enjoying for a hundredth time the fantastic pictures of the earth from above infront of Lasipalatsi.

Book just finished:
Audrey Niffenegger's "The Time Traveler's Wife". Definitely the weirdest book I've read this year, this was at times extremely fascinating and clever, but at parts it did seem a little cheap. Currently at number 9 on Amazon's bestseller list, it's definitely something completely different from what I've ever read before.

Song now playing:
Blossom Dearie singing "It Amazes Me". The more I listen to jazz, the more I am convinced that it is a whole musical world of its own, and it grips me at every new song. This particular song has been playing almost all week for me. Its lyrics, delicious harmonies and the wonderfully quirky voice of singer-pianist-cabaret artist Blossom Dearie have the power of moving me as much as, say, a German Lied.