Unfortunately I couldn't be there ... I bet every Estonian says that, but the truth is that the little piece of Earth where its kept, is also limited, so not all 1,3 million will fit in there.
The singing, I suppose we get it with breast milk, you usually say, but no, for us it comes with basic 9-year education in school. Where practically all the kids who can sing, without sounding like untuned instrument, attend the school choir and from there on national song festival in every 2 years. I remember that at one point my "teenager monster" raised the head and I refused to go to choir . Then music teacher said that it is strictly obligatory and of course then I felt even more revolutionary and definitely not wanting to go. I cannot remember exactly, but I bet all this lasted few weeks and then I was back, attending the weekly rehearsals, because the truth is, that everyone wanted to go to song festivals. It was going away for a week, sleeping entire choir together in some classroom floor in sleeping bags. Huge sleepover for entire week. After big rehearsals going around in the capital, sometimes seeing famous people on the streets WOW ... all this, was a great reward for a girl from a little countryside school. In the end it felt very impressive to sing in this huge choir of 15 000 people . Anyway, this is how we learned to appreciate singing together, from school, with basic education and the outcome was that Estonians sang themselves free from Soviet Union 20 years ago.
The singing, I suppose we get it with breast milk, you usually say, but no, for us it comes with basic 9-year education in school. Where practically all the kids who can sing, without sounding like untuned instrument, attend the school choir and from there on national song festival in every 2 years. I remember that at one point my "teenager monster" raised the head and I refused to go to choir . Then music teacher said that it is strictly obligatory and of course then I felt even more revolutionary and definitely not wanting to go. I cannot remember exactly, but I bet all this lasted few weeks and then I was back, attending the weekly rehearsals, because the truth is, that everyone wanted to go to song festivals. It was going away for a week, sleeping entire choir together in some classroom floor in sleeping bags. Huge sleepover for entire week. After big rehearsals going around in the capital, sometimes seeing famous people on the streets WOW ... all this, was a great reward for a girl from a little countryside school. In the end it felt very impressive to sing in this huge choir of 15 000 people . Anyway, this is how we learned to appreciate singing together, from school, with basic education and the outcome was that Estonians sang themselves free from Soviet Union 20 years ago.
More precisely 20 years ago on 11th of September 1988, 300 000 Estonians (according to wikipedia) gathered on the same spot in Tallinn Song Festival Grounds, to sing songs about the country and freedom, together with politicians and singers, who were spreading the message. Not throwing rocks and burning flags, just singing :)
Now they have repeated this event, for some it was nostalgic (that's me, I was young then, but I remember it all), for young folks, its was completely new and fresh injection of nationalism.
The outcome was simply beautiful. I wish I was there...
Now they have repeated this event, for some it was nostalgic (that's me, I was young then, but I remember it all), for young folks, its was completely new and fresh injection of nationalism.
The outcome was simply beautiful. I wish I was there...
That's my nationalism raising head :)
This song was composed by Tõnis Mägi, also sang by him on this video, and became The song of restoration of independence of Estonia in 1991.
This song was composed by Tõnis Mägi, also sang by him on this video, and became The song of restoration of independence of Estonia in 1991.
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