Jan van der Roost

Finnish Folk Song Suite

In this moderately easy suite, Jan Van der Roost uses four authentic folk tunes from the Swedish-speaking part of Finland. These are from Nagu, Oravais, Lappfjärd and Karlebynejden, and have been joined together without pauses to form a continuous suite. The work begins with noble, almost meditative melodies. Gradually the tempo becomes faster, resulting in a brilliant and cheerful folk dance. The melody regularly goes from one band section to another ensuring that the timbre remains varied and there is no question of monotony. This is an attractive suite which is within the range of the majority of concert bands.