I had the pleasure of first hearing Jonathan Rundman perform when I was a middle schooler. The year was 2007 and by then, my intense personal interest in Finland was already unabashedly showing itself. What I do remember was when he played for the celebration of Finland’s 90th Independence Day. I went with my grandparents and enjoyed the rosolli (beet salad with herring) and other Finnish treats, prepared by, if I am remembering right Soile Anderson.
The performance itself was unlike any other concert I had attended before and extremely memorable. Jonathan played some songs in Finnish, but also a few he had written himself in English. The one that has lingered the longest for me is called “Smart Girls,” which is a life advice song for the youth, letting them know that “love is science and love is art” so he recommends falling in love with a smart girl. He is singing from experience, as he lays out in his Lost Songs of the Suomi-Synod book, he fell in love with a camp crush - Dawn - who developed into a psychologist, author, and speaker. Not bad, Jonathan, not bad at all. Well, as a fellow “smart girl,” I lapped up these lyrics like he wrote them as a theme song for me, my sister (a veterinarian), and my friends (most of whom I deem to be verified “smart girls” as well). Grandma bought the album (which also contains a great song about a librarian) and I have been a fan ever since.
So, many years later, after starting Luumu and beginning blogging, I wrote to Jonathan to ask if I could interview him sometime. He wrote back quickly and also let me know that he was sending an informational packet in the mail for me to have prior to the interview. Receiving this package in the mail made me feel like I worked for Rolling Stone Magazine. In it was a collection of his albums, his book “Lost Songs of the Suomi-Synod,” and a brief bio. I really appreciated receiving this, because although I enjoy conducting casual interviews, this helped me prepare (something I also love to do). After reviewing the materials, we set up an interview date.
We met outside at the very beginning of October on a grey and chilly day. Inside people were enjoying coffee and treats -including, as fate should have it, one of my favorite Finnish-Swedish-American power couples Katja and Phil Zarns of Eclectic Egalitarian, as well as another unfamiliar woman with a Finnish backpack. Jonathan and I decided to chat outside, since we are both self-proclaimed “loud talkers” (as performers, we were trained to project). We played kantele and swapped stories. An hour later, I had gathered enough material to write this little post.
Jonathan’s book draws from the Suomi-Synod, which was absorbed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) in the late 80s. This is the denomination that Jonathan grew up in. Ever since he played at his first FinnFest in 2008, he has only seen a resurgence of interest in Finland, Finnish-America, and Finnish arts in general. His children - Paavo and Svea - are also performers of Nordic music. During the pandemic, the Rundmans kept close and not unlike several famous tv families, played a lot of music together.
Jonathan relayed to me that he believes that Minnesota and the Twin Cities in particular are the Center of Cultural Finland in North America. I don’t disagree. Here in the Twin Cities we have more people with Finnish ancestry than in all of Michigan (including the UP) and it shows! We have many different Finnish-affiliated interest groups, are the home to the rebirth of public sauna, are growing our rich portfolio of cooperatives, are home to many Finnish-American and Finnish expat musicians, artists, and businesses, among other things. The Twin Cities has truly got it going on, when it comes to being a beacon of Finnish values, art, and community groups. I am so proud to have been raised here and have made a conscious decision that this is where I need to be, in order to be best situated to do my Luumu work. Jonathan feels similarily as a Finnish-American that this is the place to be to have the most access to Finnish-Americans, Finnish expats, and the growing list of Friends of Finland. Although Jonathan grew up in the UP (mostly Ishpeming, after being born in Hancock) and lived as a young adult in Chicago, he has made himself a home here in the Twin Cities. We are grateful to have him and look forward to many more of his collaborations with other Finnish-Americans and expats down the road.
One reason for this blog post is to promote and invite all interested people to an upcoming concert of which Jonathan Rundman and his book “Lost Songs of the Suomi-Synod” is a part. Jonathan, Eeva Savolainen, and Mark Sedio are working together to produce a community event called A Festival of Finnish Hymns that centers around Finnish church hymns. I am taking part in the choir and we are singing arrangements by Rundman, Sedio, Kari Tikka, and Margaret Vainio (another Finnish hymn book author/arranger). Together with about 15 other choir members (directed by Eeva Savolainen) and musical guests, we will perform several hymns from Jonathan’s book, Margaret’s book (“Finnish Hymns”), and Mark Sedio (book forthcoming???). The event will take place at Christ Church Lutheran in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, October 20th at 4 p.m. Christ Church Lutheran is on the National Register of Historic Places and is designed by both Eliel and Eero Saarinen - two giants of architecture and fittingly Finnish. The sanctuary and large pipe organ are truly worth the time and trip to Minneapolis, not to mention the musical talent.
This concert along with Jonathan’s and Margaret’s respective books of hymns, ensures that the title of Jonathan’s book is a misnomer - the songs live on when they are recognized as something worth saving, reimagining, and performing in 2024. Many of the hymns from Margaret’s book were performed at the 2023 FinnFest in Duluth. Show your support of this event and recognize the work invested in reviving these Finnish hymns so that they are never truly lost, by attending the upcoming concert, sharing about the upcoming concert with your friends, and making a donation at the event to support these Finnish community-based artists. Hope to see you at the concert!
