In English
Brief presentation – our story
The initiative for the founding of Wasa Sångargille was taken in conjunction with a concert visit by Gamlakarleby Manskör in Vaasa in January 1930. Shortly thereafter, a meeting was convened ”for persons interested in quartet singing” on February 4 and an interim board was formed. There were 34 singers as founding members of the choir, among them conductor Alfred Holm, who became the choir’s first conductor. Among several more or less serious name suggestions, the name Wasa Sångargille was used from the beginning.
Activities began with rehearsals on February 12 and already on April 26 the same year, WSG performed under their conductor Alfred Holm’s at their first concert in the City Hall’s concert hall for the home audience. The concert was a great success and the choir got a successful start both at home and at tours within the country and to neighboring Sweden.
Some of the choir’s more longer serving conductors deserve special mention, besides the mentioned Alfred Holm, i.e. Selim Segerstam and Wiking Björklund as well as the current conductor Stefan Wikman, who has already been working for a longer time as the choir conductor than any of his predecessors.
The choir’s musical motto during ”Wikman’s era” has been ”innovative on the basis of tradition”, which can be seen in the repertoire. Traditional male choir singing has been balanced against orders of new modern works and the choir has embarked on brand new paths in the form of musical dramatic works of both lighter and more serious character.
Cooperation with other choirs and other musical associations both on the local level as wel as across language and national borders has been increasingly cherished. The choir’s traditional Christmas concerts, 1-May singing and performances on Independence Day constitute the firm foundation for the choir’s annual activities.
In 1989, WSG bought their own home, an old Art Nouveau timber-built house built in 1897, designed by architect Fredrik Thesleff. The house ”Cantare”, on Vörågatan 12, is owned via the limited company Gillestugan Ab and houses a banquet hall with kitchen and office and rental space in the upper floor of the house. In addition to the choir having its own valuable and beautiful home, a cultural work of great value was also carried out, as the historically valuable house, thanks to the WSG’s efforts, was rescued from demoliton.
WSG today is better than ever. The active choir’s membership is just over 60 . If you add the singers of the senior choir, WSG definitely belongs to the country’s largest and most strongest male choirs.
Contact us
Roger Nylund
Chairman
+358 50 527 2281
ordforande@wsg.fi
Stefan Wikman
Conductor
+358 40 769 8223
dirigent@wsg.fi
Want to join the choir?
Mathias Smeds
Vice chairman
+358 50 557 5252
mathias.smeds@msmeds.fi
Stefan Wikman
Conductor
+358 40 769 8223
dirigent@wsg.fi
Want us to sing for you?
Dan Häggblom
Manager
+358 500 367 174
intendent@wsg.fi
Mathias Smeds
Stage manager
+358 50 557 5252
mathias.smeds@msmeds.fi
Press
Matias Jungar
Marketing manager
+358 40 581 6816
matias.jungar@yle.fi
Dan Häggblom
Manager
+358 500 367 174
intendent@wsg.fi
