FINLAND : Finland National Anthem
Finnish National Anthem
National Anthem of Finland
Maamme

• Author: Swedish Words: Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804-1877), Finnish Words: Paavo Eemil Kajander (1846-1913)
• Composer: Fredrik Pacius (1809-1891)
• Adopted: 1848
• National Day: December 06 (1917) - Independence Day
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• Further details: The Finnish National Anthem, 'Maamme' ('Our Land'), was sung for the first time at a students' gathering on May 13 1848. The text, first published the previous year, was by Finland's national poet,
  JOHAN LUDVIG RUNEBERG (1804-1877), all of whose works - including the National Anthem - were first written in Swedish and subsequently translated into Finnish.
  
  The melody is considerably more than an amateur's lucky hit. It is the work of the Finnish violinist and composer of operas and songs, FREDRIK PACIUS (1809-1891), who was born in Hamburg, Germany, but lived most of his life at Helsinki where he died. He became the founder of the Finnish National School of Music (1852) and is considered the father of Finnish opera. His National Anthem - without shift of key -is simple, forceful and melodious. It has a certain distinctive boldness which makes it sound angular and massive.