The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir is a professional choir based in Estonia, founded in 1981.
“The Soviet Union had moved to replace the native languages in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania with Russian in the late 1970s, starting with the implementation of all-union bilingualism programs. These attempts by the Soviets were largely unsuccessful, particularly in Estonia. The Estonian language played a integral role in their culture, and was not easily given up for Russian. Despite the Soviet Union crafting a society in which a proficiency with the Russian language was necessary for employment, education, and good social standing, the Estonians kept hold of their native language, in part through gathering to sing in their native tongue.
The Singing Revolution is the name given to the series of events from 1987 to 1991 that led to the restoration of independence of the three Soviet-occupied Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania at the end of the Cold War. The Baltic peoples staged mass demonstrations against Soviet rule, most notably the Baltic Way of 1989 on the 50th anniversary of the Nazi-Soviet pact. Approximately two million people joined hands to form a continuous human chain across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to symbolise unity and a popular commitment to independence.” (Wikipedia)
The Tallinn Song Festival celebrates Estonia’s choral heritage and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir tour internationally. Last night I heard them at the Barbican Hall. They sang 2024 compositions by Japan’s leading electronic composer and visual artist Ryoji Ikeda. He would not have been my first choice. On the plus side the singing was superb and as it was in English I could hear most of the words. Another super-plus was that the whole programme took forty-five minutes from soup to nuts.