American choirmaster declares Estonia «global song capital»

Photo: Martin Ilustrumm

Choir conductor Lonnie Cline (USA) keeps taking his singers over to the Song Celebration. According to him, to love music is to love Estonia.

The chamber choir Unistus, based in Oregon, USA, is having their third shot at the festival. Lonnie Cline, leading the 30 member coterie, has a «Welcome to Estonia» T-shirt on his back and a coat-of-arms ring on his finger. The man is convinced the positive charge from the singing event will carry partakers thereof for the rest of their lives.

The third time for you guys. What keeps bringing you back, again and again?

That’s a questions lots of friend keep asking me, in America. I’m in the habit of telling them, slightly overstating the situation, that half of Estonians sing in choirs – end the rest do folk dance. Where else should we go then, with a choir? Estonia is the place.

For me, Estonia is the absolute song capital of the world. Where else could you see 30,000 singers perform, so proudly singing out their cultural heritage and language? Of course, other cultures do that as well, but still I think it is most meaningful the way it’s being done in Estonia.

But how did it come about – your interest towards Estonia and the choir music of ours?

I well remember being at a concert by Estonian Philharmonic Camber Choir, in 1993, in Vancouver, Canada. They were performing works by Arvo Pärt and Tõnu Kaljuste. Listening to them with other well-respected US choirmasters, we found them to be world’s best.

A bit after that, I took up listening to Veljo Tormis, trying to figure out what in the world that was about. Started to sing his songs with our choir. From these days, I do have this vital and close link to Estonia.

You come across like a true fan of Estonia’s. How about the folks in the choir, most of them younger students at your universities? How do they feel, at the Celebrations?

They’re excited as well. Like me, they’ve discovered how much good Estonia’s fantastic choir tradition says about your culture, the language, and the way things are over here. And surely the fact of Estonia singing itself free, at the end of 1980ies, that’s reason enough to come and see about the phenomenon. Estonian choir music has this irresistible intensity about it. Whoever lives music, will also love Estonia.

It still makes me wonder how Americans who, probably, never head of the place before, come to Estonia and get so excited about it like this...

I told my choir that if they come to Estonia and participate in the Song Celebration, they would find people and emotions here to carry them for the rest of their lives, in the most positive way. I recall a concert in the Old Town, Tallinn, at the Old Thomas. We were singing «Koit», «Tuljak» and «Laul Põhjamaast». Hirvo [Surva] quite casually said somewhere that an American choir will do a bit of singing. And then up comes this crowd of people, climbs the stairs, and claps at every song. Afterwards, we did get to thinking: where else would that happen?

Your choir is called Unistus [Dream – edit]. Judging by the name, you specialise in Estonian choir music only, and in performing at the Celebrations. How long do you take, to prepare for the event?

Our choir does music of all kinds of differing cultures, but yes – we are very deeply into Estonian choir music and have learned all the songs in the list. So we have 90 songs this year, which we will be singing at the Celebration.

What is it that you value so highly with Estonian choir music?

I do value it very highly. In Estonia, people start leading or conducting choirs very early in life, and they are extremely good at it, and well prepared. As are the orchestras that accompany them. It is so admirable how they are able to create and to perform music vital for the society.

Does your choir understand the lyrics of all these songs, and their deeper meaning?

Sure they do, that’s crucial. It would be bad indeed for us to be singing stuff we do not understand. At the same time, the songs are so well written that we often realise, without words, what some of them say. The essence comes to us thru the melody.

What would be your personal favourite?

I like ‘em all. Figuratively speaking: whatever is set before us is my favourite song. But who has my heart is Veljo Tormis. I also highly respect Miina Härma, René Eespere, Urmas Sisask and others. You have lots of wonderful composers.

Choir music aside, what else strikes you as positive, in Estonia?

To a degree, Estonia reminds me of my native Oregon, except for the rivers and the hills over here a much smaller of course. I also like the local people a whole lot: their hospitality, their sincerity and largeness of heart is admirable. In the USA, we’ve got much more hypocrisy and small talk.

While the Song Celebration is ever a vital and longed-for event, there are those who are bothered by it. The more so that, at the Song Festival Grounds, there are such crowds and one often fails to find a seat. The singers also have to do a lot of waiting.

Song Celebration is the Estonian Super Bowl (NFL finals in the USA, the most viewed TV event – L. R.). I understand that one has to wait and so on. But: how long did the Estonians have to wait for independence? I don’t it is too much at all to have to wait for your turn, or for your favourite choir to sing. Keeping the Song Celebration tradition does take time and patience, but it is worth it.

Performers from 15 countries

•    At 26^th Song Celebrations, Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, USA, England and Russia are represented, as international guests.

•    Choirs of Estonians abroad total 21, of which Canada sends six.

•    Foreign choirs number 11, this time.

•    All in all, about 1,050 singers participate from other countries.

•    As a first, an orchestra from Taiwan will be visiting Estonia. For the first time since Estonia’s regained independence, a choir comes from Russia.

Source: PM