Songs of the festival

To the singers, the emotional association with their
choir conductor is the most important factor in the
whole performance: the huge choir, eyes fixed on the
conductor’s hand, breathes as one single organism
and makes the audience catch their breath as well.
enthusiastic learning of songs. The repertory
is compiled by the artistic director
of the festival, conductors and the music
board of our Choral Society.
Immediately after the first song festival,
some complained that most of the repertory
was of German origin. This ‘error’ was
eagerly amended, and in 1910, for the
first time, almost the entire programme
consisted of works by Estonian composers.
Competitions were organised to find
new repertory, the first taking place for
the 1928 song festival.
Attempts have often been made to direct
the preferences of the festival’s amateur
choirs. At the 1894 festival, when
educated choral conductors of Estonian
origin tried to turn the occasion into a
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