Former NIGHTWISH vocalist Tarja Turunen has issued the following track-by-track overview of her new Christmas album, Henkäys Ikuisuudesta, which was released in Finland and Argentina on November 8th:

'Kuin Henkäys Ikuisuutta':

"This is a song that Esa and I composed together. Esa showed me one song he had composed and from that song I liked some parts. At the same time, I remembered one melody I did long ago and I asked Esa if he could use it and mix it with his own song. So he did. From the title of the song, I got the idea to name the complete album, as it fitted the concept I had already in 'Yhden Enkelin Unelma.' Even though it was never in my plans to write a song for the album myself, it just happened."

'You Would Have Loved This':

"I found this song in America. The story in the lyrics fits this album perfectly. It’s about a big loss of a dear one. With this in mind, we tried an even more intimate version on the album than on the single. It has a very touching and beautiful melody."

'Happy New Year':

"When I decided to do this song, I took quite a big risk. It’s very hard to do an ABBA song better than them. So, I humbly paid homage to them. I also especially liked some parts of the English version and some parts of the Spanish version. It was hard to decide which language to do the song in, so I finally decided to mix in the parts that I liked more. It is interesting to discover such deep and moving lyrics in a song titled 'Happy New Year'.”

'En Etsi Valtaa Loistoa':

"We released this song two years ago on my single 'Yhden Enkelin Unelma'. The song is one of the most sacred Finnish Christmas songs. Because of its beautiful melody and lyrics, I wanted to include it on this album too. I recorded my vocal parts again to have a fresh sounding version."

'Happy X-mas, War Is Over':

"Our primary goal for this song was to enhance the beautiful melody of the original. The recording session with the kids was a lot of fun. I was very impressed with how talented they are. They reminded me of my primary school days when I was a part of a kids choir myself."

'Varpunen Jouluaamuna':

"The dearest Christmas song for me. I used to sing this song every year with my family at home. Usually, I played piano before Christmas dinner and this song was always a must."

'Ave Maria':

"There are many Ave Maria’s, but this is my favourite one. As a lied music lover myself, Schubert is among the greatest composers. No matter if it lasts more than six minutes; the song invites you to relax and to flow with the music. Although only piano and voice, sometimes less is more."

'The Eyes Of A Child':

"I knew some hits by the Australian band AIR SUPPLY, but when I was searching for songs for my album I found that they had done a Christmas album themselves. They covered the usual Christmas songs and they recorded 'The Eyes Of A Child' as a new song. Last year, I performed it during my Christmas tour in Germany and some fans recognized the song as a big hit from a German Schlager artist. Still, I love the beautiful melody and the fact that the lyrics are talking about hope and the future rather than Christmas itself."

'Mökit Nukkuu Lumiset':

"When I was 18 years old, I performed this song in my first Christmas concert with a chamber orchestra in Savonlinna. Even though it might not be among the most well-known Finnish Christmas songs, I really love Kaski’s melody and touching melancholy."

'Jo Joutuu Ilta':

"This is another famous Christmas song from Sibelius. Like many other Finnish Christmas songs, I listened to it for the first time in a church when I was a kid. Its simplicity is what probably captured my attention."

'Marian Poika':

"To be honest, when I started to check out Christmas songs for the album, 'Marian Poika” was in my list of 'not to do' ones. I never imagined myself singing such a happy tune. But when we decided with Esa to have a kids choir on the album for 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)', this song came back to my mind. Then, the challenge was for me to find a way to record a song that I initially didn’t want to. We talked with Esa about how to do it and in the end, thanks to the kids from the Tapiola choir, I really like it. It makes me smile and I am glad that we did it."

'Quia Respexit':

"When you think about J.S. Bach, the first thing that comes to your mind is the complexity of his marvellous and huge body of work. He certainly earned the name 'The Father of Music'. I sang the song for the first time during my studies in Germany. Since then, I kept a warm feeling for it. It has always captivated me, how fragile the song is and how perfectly the piano and flute interacts with the voice. Sonja and Emilia did a wonderful job."

'Walking In The Air':

"The whole idea of doing an X Mas album started with this song. Some years ago, I was having a friendly conversation where 'Walking In The Air' was mentioned. We were talking about the beauty of the song and about The Snowman cartoon, where the song is from. As the conversation progressed, I found myself making a commitment to search for other songs that could be performed during Christmas time. It didn’t take long until this developed into making a recording of those songs."

'Jouluyö Juklayö':

"A Christmas song that is known throughout the world, and has been recorded in many languages. Every time I listen to it, it brings me memories of my childhood with my family. I wanted to do a version that represents the Finnish Christmas. The best way we could think of was to use a real church organ and Finnish kantele."