Origins: Water under Snow Is Weary

Subject: Water Under Snow...
From: Ajaleigh
Date: 12 Jan 99 - 09:34 PM

I was wondering where this song came from, and how old it is. Basically any info on it. Part of it goes:

Water under snow is weary...under ice it stretches sleeping.
Winds are blowing, no rest for them.
Thousand footed flakes are dancing...and the blizzard boy is whirling.
Winds are blowing no rest for them...

Any help would be great! Thanx, Ajaleigh

Subject: RE: Water Under Snow...
From: Ajaleigh
Date: 20 Jan 99 - 08:03 PM

I just found that it was either from Finland or Norway, does that help anyone???

Subject: RE: Origins: Water under Snow Is Weary
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Feb 05 - 03:35 AM

Several web sites are offering sheet music for WATER UNDER SNOW IS WEARY.

Here's a quote from a choir program:

WATER UNDER SNOW IS WEARY (VESI VÄSYY LUMEN ALLE) is a setting of a poem by Estonian poet Eha Lättemäe. The meter of the poem inspired Finnish composer Harri Wessman (b. 1949) to make a paraphrase of the text over the ancient Kalevala melody—familiar to all Finns and heard in its original form in the introduction played by flute and piano. The Kalevala is the Finnish national folk epic, a heroic tale of mythical proportions that was first compiled by Finnish folklorist Elias Lönnrot (1802-1884) in 1835, and whose meter Longfellow imitated in "Hiawatha." Wessman, a prolific writer of instrumental music, is best known for "Water Under Snow Is Weary," made popular by the Tapiola Choir, originally conducted by Erkki Pohjola (b. 1931), a leader in Finnish music education who edited the version that the LGCW is singing. The distinctive features of this piece are its 5/4 meter (divided into 3/4 and 2/4) and its pentatonic tonal language. A country of many lakes and rivers, Finland's cold winters are a prominent characteristic of its existence and culture and this piece captures the relationship of the Finn to the land and weather.

Subject: RE: Origins: Water under Snow Is Weary
From: mg
Date: 25 Feb 05 - 12:22 PM

Neat words. Can anyone post more of them?

And don't forget there is a lovely Finnish festival held in Naselle, Washington, USA in the summer. This is going to be a very special one this year..I guess they have rotating events in various Finnish places and this year's will be in Naselle so it will be way more than just local. I am getting in touch with my Finnish roots...I have an aunt who was a war bride from Finland, and my cousins are half Finnish. mg