Finnish musician joins Harald V’s funeral choir in Oslo

Peetu Karjalainen, 25, will sing with the choir of Oslo Cathedral at King Harald V’s funeral on Wednesday, Yle reports. The choir is responsible for all the church music at the service and had only one week to learn an entirely new programme.

“In a way, this performance was our responsibility,” Karjalainen said.

Karjalainen studies at the Norwegian Academy of Music and has sung with the Oslo Cathedral choir for four years. His main instrument is the flute.

The choir’s preparation has been intensive because of the short notice. Its members include musicians as well as people from other professions, such as nurses and office workers, many of whom have extensive choir experience.

“Everyone has to carry their share of the responsibility,” Karjalainen said.

During the service at Oslo Cathedral, the choir and orchestra will perform from the gallery while guests sit in the main church hall. Yle will broadcast the ceremony in a special TV1 programme starting at 12.45.

Norwegians mourn their “shared grandfather”

Karjalainen has lived in Oslo during his studies and says he has seen how deeply the king’s death has affected people in Norway.

“They feel that Harald was, in a way, everyone’s shared grandfather,” he said.

According to Karjalainen, most Norwegians are mourning the king to some extent, regardless of their age. People have lit candles in his memory outside the Royal Palace in Oslo, while queues to the palace chapel, where the king’s coffin was displayed, stretched to as long as seven hours over the weekend.

From Kajaani to Oslo

Karjalainen has sung since childhood and began playing the flute when he was young. He studied in music classes and at a music upper secondary school before continuing his studies in Oslo.

“When I started playing the flute here, I had such a strong background in choir singing that it was easy to join projects like this,” he said.

Karjalainen said professional networks in Oslo’s music circles are strong, and information about skilled singers quickly reaches conductors.

King Harald will be buried in Oslo on Wednesday. The funeral day begins with a private moment for close family members at the palace chapel, after which the coffin will be taken in a large procession to Oslo Cathedral.

Members of several European royal families and national leaders, including Finnish President Alexander Stubb and his spouse, will attend the service.