A touch of brass ...

The Helsinki Festival is going on at present. Last evening was the Night of the Arts - my normal route to work through Senatoori was blocked by a huge stage, which last night was the venue for a concert including the five top songs from 1968, voted by readers of the Helsingin Sanomat. According to their pages, "Friday sees the Night of the Arts in Helsinki, a free culture'n'fun happening in in which museums and art galleries, bookstores and libraries all keep their doors open late, and more than 200 events are held throughout the city and suburbs. The hugely popular night on the town was first arranged in 1989, so this is the 20th celebration of the occasion." I was bushed, so didn't make it down there.

Instead, on my afternoon constitutional today, I caught this brass band performing at the Espa stage on Esplanadi. It was a strange experience - in the midst of the more traditional pieces, they played a country and western number. I then noticed that they were using clothes pegs to hold their music on the stands and avoid the pages blowing in the wind. I started wondering whether the clothes peg was invented before some of the instruments. You can tell I have not been getting out much lately!