Temppeliaukio Church hosts Dona Nobis Pacem on 19 October
Published on 09/27/2026 at 17:55 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
A Dona Nobis Pacem charity concert will take place at Temppeliaukio Church (Temppeliaukion kirkko) in Helsinki on 19 October 2026. The evening brings the Harvestehuder Chamber Choir to Finland for a programme supporting child caring institutions in Ukraine.
Dona Nobis Pacem brings a peace programme to Helsinki
The concert begins at 7pm on 19 October 2026 at Lutherinkatu 3, 00100 Helsinki. The church's operator lists free entrance, with a voluntary programme fee available on site.
The programme moves from early Baroque works by Heinrich Schütz to contemporary composers. It includes a focus on Ukrainian artists Hanna Havrylets, Iryna Aleksiychuk and Oleksandr Shchetynsky, linking sacred musical traditions with the present-day desire for peace. The programme also includes Knut Nystedt's Immortal Bach.
The Harvestehuder Chamber Choir was founded in 1980 by Claus Bantzer, then organist and cantor at St Johannis in Hamburg-Harvestehude. Since 2018, Edzard Burchards has been the ensemble's artistic director. The choir's repertoire extends from Renaissance music to works of the twenty-first century and includes sacred and secular compositions.
The concert programme and venue are listed by the church operator.
Temppeliaukio Church turns rock architecture into a concert venue
The building was excavated directly into solid rock and erected in 1969. It was designed by brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen, whose work places the rough stone walls inside the worship space.
A copper-lined dome covers the church hall and is supported by reinforced concrete beams resting on the rock walls. The dome contains 180 skylights, while an ice-age crevice in the interior rock serves as the altarpiece.
The setting helps explain why a programme centred on choral sound belongs in this building rather than in a conventional concert hall. The same rock surfaces that define the architecture also form the acoustic environment for the Harvestehuder Chamber Choir's peace-themed programme.
Further background on the building, its address and its architecture is available from MyHelsinki's place guide.
Visiting Temppeliaukio Church: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Dona Nobis Pacem concert takes place on 19 October 2026 at 7pm at Lutherinkatu 3, 00100 Helsinki.
- Entrance to this concert is free, while the organiser says a voluntary programme fee can be paid on site.
- The church is in the Etu-Töölö district of Helsinki, at the end of Fredrikinkatu. Its listed visitor address is Lutherinkatu 3.
- The interior is excavated into solid rock, with rugged stone walls, a rock crevice used as an altarpiece and a copper-lined dome overhead.
- Finland's official languages are Finnish and Swedish, and the national currency is the euro.
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Frequently asked questions about Temppeliaukio Church
When does Dona Nobis Pacem take place at Temppeliaukio Church?
The concert takes place on 19 October 2026 at 7pm at Lutherinkatu 3 in Helsinki. The programme supports child caring institutions in Ukraine.
What is Temppeliaukio Church?
It is a church excavated into solid rock and erected in 1969. Its dome, skylights, rough stone walls and unusual acoustics are central features of the building.
Where is Temppeliaukio Church and how do you get there?
The church is in Helsinki's Etu-Töölö district at Lutherinkatu 3, near the end of Fredrikinkatu. The listed venue address is 00100 Helsinki.
