Finnish Band Coming to Spencer - Van Etten The Kymi Wind Band is from the music institute of Northern Kymi Valley, which is headquartered in Kouvola, Finland. It is a wind band made up of approximately forty nine woodwind, brass and percussion students, ages 12-18, from Kouvola and surrounding communities. This exchange came about following the visit of Helen Riker and Leo Balander to Finland a few summers ago. They brought back with them a CD recording of the Kymi Wind Band, which they gave to Walt Baer, the now retired director of the S-VE senior band. Walt had participated in the first exchange trip to Finland from S-VE in the seventies and was very interested in doing another exchange. He contacted the director of the Finnish band and set the wheels in motion for the visit of the Finns to this country this summer. The forty nine band members and twenty adult chaperones from Kouvola will arrive in Spencer and Van Etten late in the evening of June 29, and will be staying in our area until July 8, when they will travel to New York City for a day before flying back to Finland. They will be staying with host families in our district while they are here. The itinerary for their visit is in the final stages of being developed. Planned events include day trips to Watkins Glen, a boat cruise on Seneca Lake, a day at Corning Glass, a day in Ithaca, a trip to Dorney Amusement Park in Allentown, PA., a trip to Niagara Falls and a trip to the Elmira area. They will also have a free day on the Fourth of July to spend with their host families, and other events which are still being planned. The highlight of the exchange will be two concerts by the Kymi Wind Band. The first will be held on Tuesday, July 1 in the Clyde Spear Auditorium of the Spencer - Van Etten Middle - Senior High School. The concert is free and begins at 7:30 pm. The second concert, also free, will be held on Saturday, July 5 in the auditorium of Newfield High School. That concert will also begin at 7:30 pm. It is our hope that after this summer, the S-VE music department can begin planning the second part of the exchange, our trip to Kouvola in the summer of 2004. |