Few people know that the most popular Christmas carols that are more than 100 years old originated on Seminaarinmäki, one of the oldest buildings of the University of Jyväskylä.
The most beautiful Christmas carols booklets usually contain *Arkhuolesi all them*, *Hoosianna*, *Christmas night party night*, *Sylvia’s Christmas carol* and *Sparrow on Christmas morning*. These and many other Christmas hits over a hundred years old come from the first Finnish-language teachers’ seminar in Jyväskylä. Next year it will be 160 years since the seminar was founded.
Kosonen has studied in depth the musical stages and influences of Seminaarinmäki. In 2009, Kosonen published the book *Seminarinmäki school songs – Jyväskylä University 75 years*.
– As a Fennoman and a guardian of the Finnish language, Schöneman was inspired to contract Finnish-language material for a Finnish-language seminar.
– Many classics were born here, and specifically those that are still at the top of the most popular Christmas songs.
– But it’s so wonderful, it’s a joke, I’m proud. Maybe there is something in the soil of Mäki-Mati and Seminaarinmäki that helps the creators to be inspired by Christmas music.
Ilta made a Christmas carol in 20 minutes
Ilta himself continues the glorious tradition of Seminaarinmäki with this Christmas’ new song *Kuka hän ont*, composed, written and arranged by him.
– I sat down at the piano and thought about what kind of Christmas carol I would make. The song was created in 20 minutes, it just popped out of me and I would also like to bring the essence of Christmas into the song.
While making the song, Ilta thought about how Christmas has changed history. That started, among other things, the countdown.
– In my opinion, the concept of mercy and forgiveness also deserves to be highlighted more strongly.
Erja Kosonen listened carefully to Ilta’s new song and described it as very beautiful and eloquent.
– It asks who this boy was, and at this time it is an important question.
Kosonen confirms that Ilta continues the Jyväskylä seminar’s Christmas traditions in content.
– The points of contact are the joy of Christmas, the gift of Christmas and the discovery of Christmas as a celebration.
Is Jyväskylä a carol town?
Erja Kosonen emphasizes the importance of Jyväskylä as the home of Christmas carols, but needs more recognition for it.
– If you look at the Kauneimmait Christmas carols booklet this year, you will find quite a few with composers and lyricists with a seminary background.
For twenty years, the University of Jyväskylä has already organized the Christmas tree festival, and Seminaarimäki’s most beautiful Christmas carols have become established in the university’s autumn program.
– In the direction of the city, I wish that the city would show itself much more as the home of Finnish Christmas. That’s what this is. Other cities have already grabbed Christmas city titles. A Christmas carol town in particular would suit Jyväskylä, says Kosonen.
The seminar trained a lot of public school teachers, who moved to work in different parts of Finland and took the six-day tradition with them, first to schools and then to homes.
– For the first time in Finland, the Christmas tree was indoors in the Seminarium’s banquet hall, which also happened in Jyväskylä.
The most famous Christmas carols from the Jyväskylä teachers’ seminar
*You can discuss the topic on 24.12. until 11 p.m.*