Matthew Whittall: The World Tree

Helsingin kamarikuoro
Nils Schweckendiek, conductor

Spurred into action by the illegal felling of the iconic Sycamore Gap tree in Northern England in 2023 – an act of mindless vandalism that came to symbolise the wider threat human beings pose to their environment – composer Matthew Whittall and writer Robert Macfarlane have joined forces to create an hour-long work exploring mankind’s relationship with nature. “In place of Romantic sentimentality, we are looking for a deeper, more thoughtful connection with the natural world,” they say. The title The World Tree refers to Norse mythology, in which the tree Yggdrasil is seen as connecting the visible world both to heaven and to the underworld. As well as being a Requiem for the Sycamore Gap tree, the work expresses the hope that a forest will be planted in its place.

Matthew Whittall is one of the most highly respected composers active in Finland today, and is particularly well-known for his idiomatic and original choral works. Robert Macfarlane is an award-winning British nature writer. This is their first collaboration.


In collaboration with: Kotka-Kymi, Nurmijärvi and Vihti congregations
 
Tue 18.11.2025 7 PM
Temppeliaukio Church, Helsinki
Tickets: 30/20/10 € (Ticketmaster)

Thu 20.11.2025 7 PM
Kymi Church, Kotka
Tickets: 25/20/15 € (Ticketmaster)

Fri 21.11.2025 7 PM
Klaukkala Church, Nurmijärvi
Free entrance, programme booklet 10 €

Sun 30.11.2025 6 PM
Vihti Church
Tickets: 20/15/10 € (Ticketmaster)