Syrjäinen laulu (lied version, Finnish,)

Kuura Klaavu

2025
Solo Voice + 1-6 players (Lied)
Piano, Voice (soprano), Voice + accompaniment
*This is a piano and voice arrangement of the original work for string quartet, clarinet and voice.* I think we are often carrying around complicated feelings without noticing. To me, they are like songs playing in our heads, but quiet,... [Read more]
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Syrjäinen laulu (lied version, Finnish,)

Kuura Klaavu

*This is a piano and voice arrangement of the original work for string quartet, clarinet and voice.*

I think we are often carrying around complicated feelings without noticing. To me, they are like songs playing in our heads, but quiet, invisible. Not sad, not happy. Not something we can explain.

I wrote the original poem about this kind of feeling, a feeling made into a song that “doesn’t play on the radio; there are no instruments to play it with”. It is a very personal song to me, having always carried that feeling around, without any way to know what it is.

ASK ME FOR TRANSPOSITIONS! I’ll be glad to provide them 🙂

The English translation of the poem:

Somewhere, there is a secluded song. It sings
with sickness, into your mind.
Cutting through the already-gone night,
with a single sprained note it sings,
ringing in the rhythm of cries.
It does not play on the radio;
there is no instrument to play it with.
But right beneath the ear it sounds,
that melody, hidden from listeners,
with sorrow, silence –
and sings.

The Finnish Original:

On jossain syrjäinen laulu. Se soi
sairaana, soi syvälle mieleen.
Leikkaa läpi yön jo menneen,
yksi sävel nyrjällään, se soi –
itkujen rytmissä raikuu.
Ei se soinnu radioissa;
ei soitinta ole, mik’ ääntään lois’.
Mutt’ korvan juurella viipyy
tuo säe, piilossa kuulijalta
suruin hiljaa – ja soi.

You are free to play this piece, in full or in part. The sheet music is free to download and share. You don’t need to notify me, but if you perform my music in a public concert (especially in Finland), please submit a performance notification (esitysilmoitus in Finnish) to Teosto, the Finnish music rights organisation. If you are unable to do so (or don’t know what it means), don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at contact@kuuraklaavu.com or send me a DM on Instagram or Facebook @kuuraklaavu, and I’ll answer!

Thank you for checking out my work! 🙂 Stars adore you!

Premiere information: My composition concert “Syrjäisiä lauluja”, Turku, Art Chapel, May 2025
Premiered by: Inkeri Lintervo (voice), Karoliina Aaltonen, (piano)

Kuura Klaavu