As an Estonian representative choir at the 8th Nordic-Baltic Choral Festival, the Chamber Choir of the University of Tartu has the honour to give concert during regions’ day in Cēsis St John’s Church. At the concert music written by Cyrillus Kreek, Charles Villiers Stanford, Arvo Pärt, Alfred Schnittke, Andres Lemba, Mart Saar, Veljo Tormis, Eduard Tubin and Tõnis Kõrvits is going to be heard. In the evening after the concert at 9 PM a small concert will be given with some other festival choirs on an open-air stage in Cēsis Castle Park.
Cēsis is a town in Latvia that had played a significant role in the contemporary Estonian history. On 23rd June, 1919 during the War of Independence of Estonia a battle was held near Cēsis, where the Estonian troops won Baltic Landeswehr. This day is annually celebrated as a national Victory Day in Estonia.
The Chamber Choir of the University of Tartu takes part in the 8th Nordic-Baltic Choir Festival in Latvia, giving independent concerts, presentations about Estonian choral music and singing at the closing concert in Mežaparks, Riga, where all Latvian song celebrations are held. The chamber choir also gives a special concert in Cēsis St John’s Church. The Chamber Choir of the University of Tartu is an Estonian representative choir at the 8th Nordic-Baltic Choir Festival and its conductor Triin Koch is a member of the artistic board of the festival.
Nordic-Baltic song festival tradition was initiated in 1995 by Latvian conductor Imants Kokars, who invited more than 6,000 singers to perform in Riga, Latvia. During the next 20 years the festival has been held in six different Baltic and Scandinavian country, including Tartu, Estonia. Being held in Riga, Latvia for the second time, more than 6,500 singers are expected to take part, along with guest choirs coming from Italy and Luxembourg.
