Another step forwards…

I can’t believe we’ll be hearing the names of the finalists tonight. It seems incredible that the competition’s going so fast. We came back to Helsinki from Jyväskylä on the early train this morning. Everything had gone well for our cheerful party in Jyväskylä. I’d also had a good time with them myself – it was great getting to know these four different personalities!

We were treated very well, if not outright spoilt in Jyväskylä. The people at the Sinfonia Finlandia Jyväskylä treated us like rare flowers. The theatre building felt like home and outwardly at least served us well. The contestants were enthusiastic about being able to play somewhere other than Helsinki as well. Naturally that was good to hear, because we couldn’t be sure beforehand how they would take it. And it’s my job to think primarily about the contestants, so I was pleased.

The main rehearsals began at the theatre on Wednesday morning. The mood among the staff was relaxed; the people were all calm and friendly and any requests were met without any fuss. Before the evening’s concerts there were, for example, such things to attend to as blocking the wall at the side of the stage so that the audience wouldn’t be disturbed by the fairy lights flashing on the car (a prop for another production) parked in the wings. A place had been set aside for the contestants to practise in, but the Italian preferred to execute scales in the empty foyer.

This time it was my job to usher the contestants on stage at the concerts. In between I followed the performances on the greenish offstage monitor and chatted to the laid-back orchestra manager (the best in Finland, apparently!). I had to admire his self-assurance and his ability to correctly assess everything to do with the concert. Fun. During the evening there was also a visible look of admiration in the eyes of the ladies of the orchestra for the looks and bearing of our German reinforcement… An absolute must in any competition!

After the concert we went and had supper with the jury before the contestants all went their own way. In the morning the cellists and I dragged ourselves to the Helsinki train; we all had some sleep to catch up on and had had to get up too early. It seems all the sadder now that the group will soon be reduced again. But that’s how it goes, and on the other hand I am excited about the climax of the competition. I’m already frantically going over in my mind all the things I’ve got to see to for the finals. That cycle begins tomorrow. Everyone back in Helsinki and off we go again.

Excited about tomorrow,
Eeva