Juhan Jürme

b. March 20, 1896 Tallinn – March 25, 1943 Tallinn
Buried at the Tallinn Forest Cemetary

Composer, choral conductor and music teacher Juhan Jürme (Johannes Jürgenson till 1938) studied music under Anton Kasemets and Peeter Süda. He graduated from Tallinn Conservatory in organ in the class of August Topman in 1925 and in composition under Artur Kapp in 1927. He was the grantee of Konstantin Türnpu Capital in 1926–1927.

Jürme was organist and choir conductor in EELC Tallinn Toompea Kaarli Congregation (1924–1940), music teacher in Tallinn City Girls’ Commercial Gymnasium and Tallinn Boys’ Commerce School (1929–1942), as well as pedagogue in Tallinn Conservatory (1942–1943). Additionally he played piano in cinemas.

Jürme’s activity with Kaarli Song Society was notable: under his direction the choir gave concerts in  Bourse Hall and Estonia Concert Hall, they performed in open air concerts, participated in provincial song days and XI general song celebration (1938). The repertoire included remarkable amount of Jürme’s music. Together with conservatory’s string orchestra and soloists Jürme’s author’s concert was given in 1926. Together with State Broadcast Symphony Orchestra his cantata Memento mori were performed from 1934 to 1940. One of the last big performances was Kaarli Song Society’s 20th anniversary concert in 1940 where choir sang with soloist Jenny Siimon and organist Alfred Karindi.

Juhan Jürme has written ca 400 works, including 100 choral songs, solo songs and organ music. In 1930ies, he wrote a number of chorales as a commission of EELC Church Music Secretariat. The most considerable part of his oevre is formed by Bible-themed vocal-symphonic works: cantatas After the Holy Communion and Memento mori, and oratorio Nebuchadnezzar. Although the larger part of his choral works are sacred, his most popular songs are "Funny story" and "The corn-crake" (text: Marie Under), that has several arrangements for other instrumentation, too. "The corn-crake" for wind orchestra was in the program of the song celebration in 1938 and has been very popular piece since then. Jürme’s music is characterized by fluent polyphonic technique and fine orchestration.

Juhan Jürme perished during the bombing of Tallinn in 1943.

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