The title of the 150^th jubilee celebration “My Fatherland is My Love” will live on in the hearts of singers, dancers and spectators. The artistic teams and organizers thank everyone involved.

The final concert on 7^thJuly brought 62 000 ticket buyers to the Song Festival Grounds in Tallinn to join the 35 000 singers. Saturday’s concert drew 35600 spectators. 33 000 people attended the three dance performances on Thursday and Friday.

Peeter Perens, the artistic director of the Dance Celebration 2019 is not surprised by the lively attendance: “Estonians have needed the Song Celebration for 150 years and will continue to do so in future. The programme has been compiled during the past three years and each piece selected carefully. In addition to old favourites the repertoire must include newly commissioned pieces that would enrich the heritage and challenge the artistic level of our choirs.”

Celebration in numbers:

Support team – ca 2000 people (including more than 200 first aid workers, 130 members of Defence League to serve 180 000 soup portions during the week)

1020 choirs and orchestras at the Song Celebration, altogether 32 302 people. 713 dance groups at the Dance Celebration, a total of 11 500 dancers and teachers. 74 groups at the folk music celebration with 800 musicians. The procession on Saturday included 47 000 singers, dancers and musicians.

The jubilee celebration was preceded by 33 days of the “Way of the Flame”. The flame travelled 4200 km from Tartu to Tallinn passing all Estonian counties and reaching 100 000 people on its way.

The next Song and Dance Celebration will take place from 1^st to 3^rd July 2022.

The tickets for today’s concert have sold out. You can watch the live transmission starting at 14:00 EET on big screens in centre of Tallinn on Freedom Square and in Maarjamäe Park. There are also live transmissions on screens throughout Estonia, on TV and online at ERR.ee 

• 1020 choirs participating in the Song Celebration, which include over 35 000 singers
• 713 dance groups dancing in the Dance Celebration(15 foreign Estoniangroups), whichinclude 11 500 dancers. This is the largest Dance Celebration of all times.
• The Folk Music Celebration is happening for the third time, and there are 74 participating groups with 800 people
• Song Celebration youngest participant: Emma Kannik (5) / Musamari Koorikool (Tallinn)
• Song Celebration oldest participant: Aino (90) / New York Estonian Choir (USA)
• Dance Celebration youngest participant: Isabela (5) / Estonian Folks Pererühm (England)
• Dance Celebration oldest participant: Ants (74) / Pärnumaa
• Song Celebration average male age: 27
• Song Celebration average female age: 25,5
• Song Celebration most common male name: Martin
• Song Celebration most common female name: Laura
• Dance Celebration average male age: 26
• Dance Celebration average female age: 31
• Dance Celebration most common male name: Martin
• Dance Celebration most common female name: Katrin
• 28 952 women participating in the Song and Dance Celebration
• Song Celebration smallest choir: Kauksi Primary School choir (12 singers)
• Song Celebration largest choir: The European Estonian’s Choir (123 singers)
• 25 Estonian choirs from abroad
• 17 foreign choirs participating in the Song Celebration
• 7 Estonian mixed groups, 6 Estonian female groups and 2 Estonian family groups from abroad participating in the Dance Celebration
• Participants are accommodated in 45 Tallinn’s and Harjumaa’s schools: 18 schools for dancers, 27 schools for singers. On average 450 participants are staying in one school.
• On the 6th of July, 47 000 participants are having lunch at the Song Festival Grounds – the largest number of all times. A total of 180 000 meals will be served from biodegradable dishes and cutlery during the rehearsals and performances.

Starting from Sunday you can see more people roaming around Tallinn than usual, because of the XXVII Song and the XX Dance Celebration „My Fatherland is my Love“ which takes place on the 4. – 7. July and brings over 46 000 participants and over a hundred thousand spectators to the capital city. The first dancers have started their rehearsals on various rehearsal spaces all over town.

There are 713 groups which include 11 500 individuals rehearsing on the capital’s stadiums and rehearsal spaces. The 1020 groups of singers (over 35 000 individuals) will be arriving on Thursday. Singers, dancers and musicians will be housed in 47 of Tallinn’s and Harjumaa’s schools. On average there are 450 participants per school.

Besides the local choirs and dance groups, there are over 50 groups coming from all over the world. Choirs are coming from Estonia’s neighbouring countries and even as far as the USA, Canada, Australia and Japan. The guest groups participating in the Dance Celebration are coming from Australia, Belgium, Ireland and Luxembourg.

Gustav Ernesaks Foundation has issued the annual choir music awards to conductor Lydia Rahula, organizer of Europa Cantat Katrin Puur and master student Maarja Helstein at a ceremony in Estonia concert hall.

The foundation, named after the most legendary choir conductor and composer of Estonia, Gustav Ernesaks, was founded in 1993 to promote choir music. For the first time the main award is accompanied by a small “Gustav” sculpture – a miniature version by Ekke Väli of the landmark Gustav Ernesaks sculpture on the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds.

The main award winner Lydia Rahula is a long-time music teacher and conductor at Tallinn 21. School, founder of Tallinn Boys Choir, conductor of Estonian Children’s Choir and conductor of the Song Celebration since 1987. The head of Estonian Male Choirs Association Hirvo Surva praised Rahula for her contribution to educating a new generation of male singers.