Finnish music is filled with magic and mystery, from the traditional music and songs of the nomadic Sámi people to the brilliance of Finland’s national composer Jean Sibelius who was inspired by the same Finnish folktales as JRR Tolkien—and, later, Howard Shore. 

Yoik is traditional singing unique to the Sámi, the last nomadic peoples of Northern Europe, who live in Sápmi (formerly known as Lapland and comprising parts of Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Russia). Composer Roope Mäenpää’s “Luovus” Symphony for Yoik and Chamber Orchestra is built on poetry written by guest Yoik vocalist Niillas Holmberg, a genre-defying musician and advocate for the Sámi people. (Holmberg and Mäenpää often perform together, combining Niillas’s singer-songwriter style with Roope’s classical background to create unique Arctic folk music in which language is no barrier.) 

Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’s Symphony No. 3 is deeply influenced by Finnish folk music and filled with the energy and enchantment of the ancient northern woods. In this symphony, listen for the passages that might have influenced Howard Shore as he composed the score for The Lord of the Rings.