Finland has always long been famous for its choral tradition, composers, and beautiful choral repertoire. In this interactive lecture we will take a look at how the ensembles and the tradition has changed over the course of the past twenty years. We will watch video performances of some of the best known Finnish choral ensembles, and hear music by Finnish choral composers. In the end all audience members will get to participate in singing traditional Finnish songs.
Sunday, February 24th | 3pm | Admission is free; donations welcome to support programming.
ABOUT THE LECTURER: Dr. Riikka Pietiläinen-Caffrey is an associate professor of music at Bunker Hill Community College. Riikka, a native Finn, has toured Europe and South America with the internationally-acclaimed Finnish choir, Philomela. Riikka is an active conductor, singer, and vocal coach, and is frequently invited as a soloist, adjudicator, and guest clinician for schools and choral ensembles, both in Europe and within the United States. Her compositions and arrangements have been published by Alliance Music Publications and Kandinsky Music. Riikka’s research interests include holistic choral experience, vocal pedagogy, mindfulness in choirs, and the mirror neuron system. Her article “Monkey See, Monkey Do – The Choral Conductor and the Mirror Neuron System” was published in the United States in The Choral Journal as well as in the Australian National Choral Association’s national publication, Sing Out! Riikka holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the City College of City University of New York as well as Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Colorado.
In this series of infant and mother classes you will be provided with guidance on a variety of topics to make your transition at home with your baby as easy and cozy as possible.
Learn about important infant topics in an atmosphere of hygge (coziness) while we fika with Swedish coffee and pastries. Cozy sweaters and socks are encouraged! The end of each class will be open to discussion and a Q&A session for moms.
Tuesdays, March 5th – April 9th | 10:30-11:30am | $25 per class (discount for 6 week registration available)
03/05 – How to have a hygge home and baby
03/12 – Formula/Breastfeeding/Introducing Bottles/Weaning
03/19 – Infant Play and Top Sensory Development Toys
03/26 – Sleep Training Essentials
04/02 – Introducing Solids and Sippy Cups
04/09 – Scandinavian Parenting in a Nutshell–What we can learn from this region as our babies grow
ABOUT KATE: Kathryn “Kate” Leaf Wallace is a Boston nurse with nearly 24 years of infant and childcare experience and owner of Mamma & Bebis, sleep training and infant care consulting agency. She holds a masters degree in healthcare leadership from Brown University, and holds certificates in breastfeeding counseling and childbirth education as well. Kate founded her business to support other mothers around the Scandinavian model of mothers supporting mothers. She enjoys sharing her Swedish heritage any baby knowledge with others over “fika” or coffee and pastry breaks. Kate lives with her husband and daughter Karoline Astrid outside of Boston.
Come and experience one of Verdi’s most lyrical masterpieces with Luciano Pavarotti in the leading role.
The story is a simple one and was based on the real-life assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden in 1792. He was a great patron of the arts and a monarch who still fascinates the Swedish people. His assassin, Count Anckarström,
killed him at a Masked Ball as the result of a political conspiracy against him.
Saturday, February 9, 2019, 1pm | $15; $7 for SCC members
Speaker: Erika Reitshamer, born and educated in Germany, is a passionate and lifelong fan of opera. She was active in the formation of the Boston Lyric Opera Co. more than 40 years ago. As Vice President of the Boston Wagner Society, she presented lectures, organized concerts, and promoted visiting scholars. She is a board member of the New England Opera Club and teacher of opera appreciation for LLARC at Regis College, Sherborn Lifelong Education, and WISE at Assumption College. Her last presentation for SCC was Mozart’s MAGIC FLUTE – “Trollflötjen.
Join a group of families for Norwegian playgroup! Give your kids a chance to speak Norwegian with other children while playing and learning.Saturday, March 2nd | 1:30 – 3pm | $5 suggested donation per child
Join us for an evening of food, fun, and friendly competition as our Italian Executive Director and our Swedish Board President’s banter about which country has better meatballs results in the
Meatball Battle: Two Great Countries. Two Beloved Meatballs.
Which one is better? You decide.
Each ticket includes sampling of meatballs from each country, beverages, dessert– and of course a ballot for voting.
Saturday, February 9th | 6pm | Tickets $25 (adult), $10 (kids); Members $20 (adult), $10 (kids)
*please note tickets MUST be purchased in advance*
The cargo ship MV Rozen is heading for harbor when it is hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean. Amongst the men on board are the ship’s cook Mikkel (Pilou Asbæk) and the engineer Jan (Roland Møller), who along with the rest of the seamen are taken hostage in a cynical game of life and death. With the demand for a ransom of millions of dollars a psychological drama unfolds between the CEO of the shipping company (Søren Malling) and the Somali pirates.
Saturday, March 16th | 1:30 | Free; $5 suggested donation
99 minutes. In Danish with English subtitles.
Films start at 1:30pm. Refreshments for attendees are served at 1pm. Lunch (not included) is available in the Kaffestugan, which is open until 3pm every Saturday.
A documentary exploring Denmark’s secret to happiness.
Hygge has exploded in popularity amidst growing division and distrust around the world, but the Danish word and its definition are more complicated than it seems. For those who seek happiness, this exploratory documentary travels around the globe to discover the true meaning of hygge and how to find it.
A truly special night with International best selling crime fiction authors Ragnar Jonasson and Yrsa Sigurdardottir. The two talk books and their international crime writing festival Iceland Noir with New York Times bestselling author Hallie Ephron. The night will be kicked off by special guest, former US Ambassador to Iceland Robert Barber and will continue with a freewheeling Q&A and book-signing with Ragnar and Yrsa.
Saturday, March 16th | 7pm | Free with registration
YRSA SIGURDARDÓTTIR is a #1 international bestselling crime writer. She lives with her family in Reykjavík; she is also a senior partner at one of Iceland’s largest engineering firms, where she works in the field of geothermal energy utilization. Her work is found on bestseller lists all over the world. The horror movie I Remember You (available on Netflix) is based on her book and the Hollywood producer Sigurjon Sighvatsson (Wild at Heart, Killer Elite, Twin Peaks) is producing a new movie and TV series based on her books. Last Rituals is her debut novel.
RAGNAR JONASSON is a #1 international bestselling crime writer. He was born in Iceland and apart from writing he works as an investment banker in Reykjavik. Before embarking on a writing career, Ragnar translated fourteen Agatha Christie novels into Icelandic. He has appeared on panels at various crime fiction festivals, including Bouchercon and Left Coast Crime in the US. Ragnar lives in Reykjavik with his wife and two daughters. Snowblind is his debut novel.
New York Times bestselling author HALLIE EPHRON, Edgar Award finalist and five-time finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark Award, writes mystery and suspense novels. Her latest bestseller is You’ll Never Know, Dear (2017). Hallie teaches writing at workshops and writing conferences across the country. Her book Writing and Selling Your Mistery Novel was nominated for Edgar and Anthony awards. An award-winning crime fiction book reviewer, Hallie wrote an ON CRIME column for the Boston Globe for ten years.
When he sets out to avenge his son’s murder, mild-mannered snowplow driver Nils sparks a war between a Norwegian mobster and his Serbian rival.
Saturday, January 19th | 1:30 | Free; $5 suggested donation
116 minutes. In Norwegian, German, Swedish, Danish, Serbian with English subtitles.
Films start at 1:30pm. Refreshments for attendees are served at 1pm. Lunch (not included) is available in the Kaffestugan, which is open until 3pm every Saturday.
The SCC is proud to co-present Swedish film The Heart (Hjärtat) as part of opening night for the 2019 Belmont World Film Festival. The film will be preceded by an optional Swedish smorgasbord at the the theater from 6-7 PM.
Actress Fanni Metelius (Ruben Ostlund’s Force Majeure) wrote, directed, and stars in this contemporary story about love, relationships, and independence set in Gothenberg and Stockholm. Metelius plays a sexually liberated and independent photographer who, despite her better instincts, falls in love and moves in with an up-and-coming musician.
Sunday, March 17th | 7:30 | tickets $11 purchase here
Community College. Riikka, a native Finn, has toured Europe and South America with the internationally-acclaimed Finnish choir, Philomela. Riikka is an active conductor, singer, and vocal coach, and is frequently invited as a soloist, adjudicator, and guest clinician for schools and choral ensembles, both in Europe and within the United States. Her compositions and arrangements have been published by Alliance Music Publications and Kandinsky Music. Riikka’s research interests include holistic choral experience, vocal pedagogy, mindfulness in choirs, and the mirror neuron system. Her article “Monkey See, Monkey Do – The Choral Conductor and the Mirror Neuron System” was published in the United States in The Choral Journal as well as in the Australian National Choral Association’s national publication, Sing Out! Riikka holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the City College of City University of New York as well as Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Colorado.
ABOUT KATE: Kathryn “Kate” Leaf Wallace is a Boston nurse with nearly 24 years of infant and childcare experience and owner of 
YRSA SIGURDARDÓTTIR is a #1 international bestselling crime writer. She lives with her family in Reykjavík; she is also a senior partner at one of Iceland’s largest engineering firms, where she works in the field of geothermal energy utilization. Her work is found on bestseller lists all over the world. The horror movie I Remember You (available on Netflix) is based on her book and the Hollywood producer Sigurjon Sighvatsson (Wild at Heart, Killer Elite, Twin Peaks) is producing a new movie and TV series based on her books. Last Rituals is her debut novel.
RAGNAR JONASSON is a #1 international bestselling crime writer. He was born in Iceland and apart from writing he works as an investment banker in Reykjavik. Before embarking on a writing career, Ragnar translated fourteen Agatha Christie novels into Icelandic. He has appeared on panels at various crime fiction festivals, including Bouchercon and Left Coast Crime in the US. Ragnar lives in Reykjavik with his wife and two daughters. Snowblind is his debut novel.