Festival over, joy in heart: 24 700 were singing in same choir

Here are few more links of AFP press coverage and I am really thankful to everyone who gave their input to the success of the Estonian song and dance festival - thousands of people. Merci also to all the journalists who responded positively to my spring attack at Facebook via journalists groups of some dozen thousands journalists. The number of singers singing in same choir was even bigger than 22 000 - it turned out as big as 24 700. Global links to AFP story "Tiny Estonia tunes up for giant national-pride choir" about Estonian song festival are here: Google news, France 24, it was also up for one month at Yahoo news page, few hundred other Google links to same AFP story, AFP after-festival-story, in full the story (original headline "Echoes of 'Singing Revolution' banish Baltic recession blues") s here , it was published also by Kuwait Times, also at Brunei Times, and is on many other sites plus the article was also sent out by AFP in French ("Les Baltes affirment leur identité nationale en chantant par milliers"). In addition AFP also made a shorter story when the Estonian song festival started.

(The list of sites above that used these stories about song festival is far not complete - AFP articles reach thousands of media organizations in over one hundred states and we never know in full how many of them use some particular story, bcs most media sites dont allow public access to stories they use.) Plus, according to Kersti Luha, Spokeswoman to Estonian Foreign Ministry, Estonian song festival attracted this year journalists also from many other major media organizations, including CNN, AP, Reuters, BBC (the article, in Estonian only).

And dont worry in case you missed it - although the biggest song festival is organised only every 5th year, there is similar and as nice song festival meanwhile, called kids and youngsters song festival that includes almost as much performers and is hold at same ground and also starts with huge parade, followed by huge concerts and is beloved by Estonians like the main festival. Estonians just cant wait 5 years to have the singing joy again, so that festival gives a chance to enjoy it all more frequently. Next kids and youngsters song festival that will be attended also by thousands of adult singers is already in summer 2011 (July 1-3, 2011) when Tallinn shares together with Finnish town Turku the title of Cultural Capital of Europe. p.s. the last photo is from previous festival. Links to giant photos from the festival at site here.

Pidu-pidu! Sa ütled mulle päikene

Song festival July 2009: 22 000 in same choir

Link to watch Song Festival Live is at the end of this message.



You can read more on that via AFP at France 24 site, at yahoo news site, or google news site, or see how Estonians were singing last time at youth song concert of the festival clicking these links. The traditional Estonian song festival that has been organized every fifth year since 1869 will be held again this summer on July 2-5, 2009. Tens of thousands of Estonians who have practiced since last year the songs in nearly one thousand choirs all over Estonia have competed this winter for the right to perform at the festival with only 600 choirs accepted. Out of all singers accepted to the festival a choir of 22 000 singers, all conducted by just one conductor per each song will also sing many songs on two days on weekend July 4-5. So go now quickly and book you tickets to Tallinn in case you havent done it yet! The concert ground is huge and noone will be left out. There are also folk dance concerts same time and extraordinary colorful and joyful parade with 37 000 participants (singers, dancers, musicians from various orchestras) wearing national dresses and singing all the 7 km during their walk from central Tallinn to open air concert ground on July 4, at 14 to 17, first concert same day at 19 and second on Sunday at 14. The traffic in central Tallinn will be closed down that time on streets of parade. Also, for more info look the official website of song festival. The festival kept up the spirit of Estonians also during Soviet years as Estonians managed to organize it also these years and the festival always ended with unofficial song "My dear fatherland", performed by tens of thousands of singers and around 200 000 audience, all standing and most in tears with rest of the nation watching it live from TV. But these days it is all just a great joy and A MUST to see at least once in lifetime! P.S. Other links here.
NB!!! You can watch live the song festival parade on Saturday, July 4, 2009, starting at 14, first song concert on same day at 19 and second song concert on Sunday, July 5, 2009, and Dance Festival on Friday 3, 2009 at 19 clicking the words Watch Song Festival Live here on dates/time mentioned above and accounting time given is local time and when its 19 in Estonia its 17 in Paris and 12 in New York.