A special virtual concert in Estonia brought together over 2,500 choir singers and was screened at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds; watch how the choir performed “Isamaa ilu hoieldes” – one of the five songs the late composer, Alo Mattiisen, wrote just before the 1988’s Estonian “singing revolution”.
A special virtual concert took place at the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds on 17 May and celebrated the end of the coronavirus emergency in Estonia.
The concert, “Spring came differently”, brought 2,500 choir singers under the cherished song festival arch in the Estonian capital, Tallinn. The Estonian choir singers from abroad also virtually joined the concert. The choir, conducted by Aarne Saluveer, could be seen on the screens of nearly 1,000 tablet computers, and over 200,000 people were watching the live broadcast in the comfort of their homes.
The highlight of the event was the performance of “Isamaa ilu hoieldes” – one of the five songs the late composer, Alo Mattiisen, wrote (it is based on Karl August Hermann’s song, “Isamaa mälestus” – “A Memory of the Fatherland”) just before the 1988’s Estonian “singing revolution”. Just like during the “singing revolution”, in the hot summer of 1988, the lead singer, backed up by the choir, was again Ivo Linna, a veteran of the Estonian rock’n’roll and pop scene.
The public also enjoyed the concert at the Song Festival Grounds – in their cars as the 2+2 rule is still in place in Estonia when it comes to public events.
Almost five per cent of the Estonian population sing in choirs or dance in folk dance groups, the statistics show.
The Estonian government decided to end the over nine-week old coronavirus emergency situation at midnight 17 May and no longer extended it; however, some restrictions remain.
For the latest developments in Estonia, follow our special blog on the coronavirus.
Cover: A collage of the choirs at the Estonian Song Celebration 2019. Photo by Sven Zacek.
