A tradition that invites the town to end the day
The Trumpeter and Evening Vespers is a beloved Naantali summer tradition. The vespers are played from the Naantali church tower from June to August every evening at 20.00. For decades, locals and visitors have paused to listen. Before the vespers, the trumpeter plays a drum roll and an evening call, encouraging everyone to end their day’s tasks and settle into the evening.
The trumpeter follows sheet of music dating back to the 1800s, playing shortly before 8 pm. You can watch the drumming near restaurant Kaivohuone, by the waterfront kiosk, and at President’s Pier. As the drum beats, the crowd grows quiet and the vesper’s melody floats over the town.
Today, the vespers recall the monastery-era prayer time. The melody is played three times each evening, in three directions: toward the President’s summer residence at Kultaranta, toward the town, and out to sea.
The Vespers hymns were originally part of a two-week cycle, but starting in the 1940s, the cycle was changed to a one-week cycle. Each day of the week has its own hymn:
Sunday: hymn 184, Mä kauniin tiedän kukkasen
Monday: hymn 571, Jo joutui armas aika
Tuesday: hymn 462, Soi kunniaksi Luojan
Monday hymn 383 in the modern hymnbook, Nyt ylös vuoriin tiellä katseeni kohotan
Thursday: hymn 459, Taivaat kaikki valtiaansa
Friday: hymn 478, Jos, Jeesus, Herrani, et pysy Luonani
Satruday: hymn 377, Sun haltuus, rakas isäni