Put on your helmet and descend into the darkness.
Come with us to the bottom of the river, inside a power plant that roars loudly. In this four-part podcast, audio describer Anu Aaltonen guides you through the concrete halls of the Pyhäkoski hydroelectric power plant, where creatures glowing in the dark sing through their saxophones. Pyhäkoski immerses you in a world of art and industrialism that you cannot otherwise see or experience. Put on your helmet and descend into the darkness.
Pyhäkoski is based on the Northern Opera Company’s Pyhäkoski – an experimental opera with saxophone quartet and electronics – which will be performed in August 2026 at the Pyhäkoski hydroelectric power plant in Muhos. The performance is part of the Delta Life project and Oulu2026 cultural program. Because the physical performance environment is full of obstacles – stairs, cramped spaces, and noise – the work has been turned into a four-part radio drama series. Its aim is to bring a magical art experience within everyone’s reach, regardless of time, place, or physical limitations.
An experimental opera set in the depths becomes an immersive auditory journey
In this audio experience, Finland’s leading audio describer, Anu Aaltonen, guides the listener through the dim corridors and narrow stairways of a power plant—descending deep into concrete vaults and the surreal world beneath the river. The work is so evocative it leaves even the most eloquent professional speechless.
“I’m at a loss for words,” says Aaltonen as she enters a massive vaulted hall, where the sound of saxophones blends with the constant hum of the turbines.
This audio drama is more than just a recording; it is a standalone work where skillful dramatization and creator interviews reveal new layers of the opera. It is designed for listeners with visual impairments, as well as anyone captivated by experimental art or the history of hydroelectric power.
Advancing Accessibility in the Arts
This podcast was developed as part of the Oulu Cultural Events Association’s accessibility initiative. In spring 2025, the performance environment was evaluated alongside accessibility expert Marko Jääskeläinen; these insights led to the creation of a dedicated, creative digital version of the work.
The Pyhäkoski piece explores the power plant’s impact on the local community, the river, and the surrounding environment. It questions how the obstruction of migratory paths feels to the fish, or what officials are calculating at their desks, while ethereal, glowing figures sing through their saxophones from the depths of the river. Who truly remembers the taming of a wild river?
