Cantus has been singing Estonian choral music for many years
and the tradition of choral singing in Estonia is so ancient that it can barely
be traced. Estonian mothers often
say that their children learn to hum in harmony before they speak their first
word. Then, of course, there is
the incredible and truly awesome story of the role of music and especially
singing in their peaceful revolution to independence less than 25 years
ago.
This is just a fraction of what we were all thinking today
as we stepped foot on the Song Festival grounds today. The space is massive—a wide-open grassy
field with a huge arched performance shell that rises out of the ground like a
wave. The shell has built-in
concrete risers for a choir of 10,000 and there is room for 100,000 people to “comfortably”
stand on the grounds for the festival.
According to legend more than 300,000 Estonians packed the grounds
during the nights that led up to the revolution—that is nearly one in every
three citizens. Near the back of the festival grounds is a grand sculpture of composer, conductor, and song festival cheerleader Gustav Ernesaks. I love that this tribute to such a great man has him sitting in the back...listening. There's something brilliant about that. 
We brought a few pieces of music with us and we had the
chance to sing. It was incredible
to sing Veljo Tormis’s “Double Dedication” and our brand new arrangement of “How
Can I Keep From Singing” by Stephen Caracciolo. I’m sure we looked like a choir of ants in the massive space,
but it was thrilling to be there and add our voice to a space where people
truly let freedom ring.
-Aaron
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