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So the eminent Psychologist received her certificate in the post yesterday, meaning she can now call herself a 'Psychologist'. The term here is a reserved and protected one, meaning that you have to be fully qualified before you can legally call yourself such. Not sure if Kanttori (or organist) has such exalted status... The snow here has almost gone already, and we have had what is a very short 'winter', with a record high temperature for March of 17.5 c set in Helsinki airport on wednesday. The previous high (16 c)was set in 1945. The winter has really been only 2 months, very short compared to last year when the snow came in november, and stayed till May. As a result of this we have dusted off kiddies bikes. The much loved, used and abused small bike has been deemed too small for the young violinist, and a new 16 inch framed bike was bought for her. Back pedal brakes this time, but she seems to have no problem with them. The stabilisers were refitted to the small bike, and number 2 hopped on and proceeded to disappear into the sunset, literally. Up until now she could hardly get the trike to move at all, and with this bike we have to run to keep up. Stopping is a bit of a problem, but she can steer very well indeed.

Yours truly has suddenly discovered that his otherwise quiet and relaxed Easter is not to be so. I am singing in Jyväskylä on Thursday, and as a result of a chance meeting with one of my fellow students, am singing on Easter monday in the 'Agricola' mass. This is a mass based on the old Finnish language, as set by Agricola 400 years ago, and sung in plainchant. I've had to rapidly learn pronounciation of old Finnish. There are just 6 of us singing this mass in Kuopio cathedral, 3 Decani and 3 Cantoris, all either kanttori or students, so the standard is quite high. Then at the rehearsal for this on Thursday I was asked to do a further two gigs with a chamber choir on Easter Sunday, again as a bass, singing a Buxtehude Cantata. It would seem that basses/baritones are in short supply in this part of the world (or at least those willing and able to sing in choirs at short notice). So the snowball effect can be seen in action, and my sight singing is rapidly improving. I probably won't do much after this, because Easter is a busy time, of course.