Dear Friends,
we are used to presidents and prime ministers here
but today we will meet three kings and one servant. Christmas is a mixture of
expectation, magic, mystery, childish joy- legend, religion, peace and quiet.
Old times offer us plenty of traditions which new generations gladly pass
on.
When gifts are unwrapped this Christmas season , a globally welcome modern
magic hero is Harry Potter --he comes in a book or a video or dvd. But he is a
new phenomenon compared with the Starboys who have been part of the Christmas
tradition in Finland for over a century. Many dozens of these quartets appear at
different events in Finland during the weeks before Christmas. The City of Oulu
greets you with the performance of this year´s Top Star Boys who won the yearly
contest this season. On behalf of myself and Mrs Kauppi who started her
maternity leave yesterday expecting her own Christmas child - I welcome
you all - ENJOY! - and I´m glad to welcome: Tervetuloa
Herodes: Kalle-Matti Romppainen,Herod,
Murjaanien kuningas: Ilkka Pasanen, King of the Moors,
Knihti: Jyri Tuulos, Herod´s servant,
Mänkki: Verneri Ruonala, the Star twirler