Concert day of combined song festivals
20 June 2019
Concert day of combined song festivals
Song festival joint concert ‘1869. 2019’
The celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the Estonian Song Festival begin in Tartu at 18:69 (which is to say 19:09) on 20 June, with a special concert in a special place – the Estonian Song Festival church, which is currently being restored. At the exact same place where the song festival began with the final rehearsal, with everyone feeling exhilarated yet anxious 150 years ago in June 1869.
The joint festive concert of the 2019 Tartu Song Festival and the XXVII Song Celebration sees performances by the Estonian National Male Choir and the Academic Women’s Choir of the University of Tartu at St Mary’s Church in Tartu. The concert’s repertoire will step back in time 150 years before returning to the present with music written in 2019 especially for the 150th anniversary of the Estonian Song Festival tradition in Tartu.
The programme includes Kunileid, Klein, Brenner, Mozart, Pacius, Stuntz, Kallivoda, Abt, Lvov, Amor and Unt.
Part of the concert will be a performance of Jüri Reinvere’s new piece ‘Mu isamaa. Mu õnn ja rõõm.’ (‘My fatherland. My joy and happiness.’) which was created especially for the 150th anniversary of the Estonian Song Festival tradition in Tartu. The piece was inspired by many important events, such as the performance of Friedrich Pacius and Johann Voldemar Jannsen’s Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm at the first song festival, as well as said festival coming to form the basis of the notion of Estonian identity as European, largely so due to a speech made by Jakob Hurt. This and the necessity and pain of defending the homeland and the ability to be happy directly influenced Jüri Reinvere’s composing of the piece in early spring 2019.
The performance of the piece, written for a mixed choir, a soloist and strings, will include mezzo soprano Kai Rüütel and Vanemuine Symphony Orchestra.
The conductors for the joint concert will be Triin Koch, Mikk Üleoja and Kaspar Mänd with actor Riho Kütsar as the compere of the concert.
See you at the song festival church – the place where a tradition that continues to bring the nation together started over 150 years ago.
Tickets available in Piletilevi.
