Harjun evening trumpet marks 50 years in Jyväskylä

A nightly trumpet recording has rung out from the top of Vesilinna in Jyväskylä every summer evening at 20:00 for 50 years, reports Yle.

The minute-long piece, Laulu Synnyinseudulle by Aulis Raitala, is played on trumpet by Torsten Lindfors. Though instrumental, the melody has lyrics by Martti Korpilahti. The tradition began in 1976 after Jyväskylä’s then-tourism chief, Risto Reivi, heard similar music from a church tower in Naantali.

For Lauri Härsilä, the tune evokes a sense of home. A decade ago, he created a mobile app that plays the melody nightly at 20:00, initially as a farewell gift for a friend leaving the city. The free Android app, recently updated, now mutes during calls or silent mode and allows volume adjustment.

Jukka Jääskelä, originally from Haapavesi, was struck by the tradition upon moving to Jyväskylä. During the pandemic, he hosted live Instagram streams where viewers listened together. For him, the shared moment offered a sense of community.

Maiju Nenonen, who moved from Lappeenranta 20 years ago, listens while canoeing on Tuomiojärvi, often singing along. She makes sure to be on the lake by 20:00, as the sound may not carry elsewhere.

A recent social media call for memories drew about 60 responses, nearly all positive. Many associate the melody with heading home or the old reminder that alcohol sales would end in an hour.