From July 1 to 3, Youth Song and Dance Celebration will take place in Tallinn Song Festival Grounds. The theme of this year’s celebration – „The wide world begins in a small land“ – tells the story how the
desire to see the big world takes us away from home until we understand that home is where the world begins, and when we realise that, we will return.
Opening ceremony starts on July 1 at 7 pm with the performance of joint choir and 1st performance of the Dance Celebration. On July 2, the celebration will continue with the 2nd performance of the Dance Celebration at 8 pm. On July 3 at 9 am, the Parade of the Song and Dance Celebration will begin at the Liberty Square, 1 pm Song Celebration – 6-hour long concert begins approximately at 1 pm followed by the closing ceremony.
The program director of XI Youth Song and Dance Celebration is Raul Talmar, artistic director of Song Celebration is Veronika Portsmuth, artistic director of Dance Celebration is Märt Agu. The principal conductors are Aarne Saluveer (toddlers’ choirs), Elo Üleoja (children’s choirs), Hirvo Surva (boys’ choirs), Peeter Perens (young male choirs), Triin Koch (girls’ choirs), Veronika Portsmuth (mixed choirs), Hando Põldmäe (wind orchestras), Jüri-Ruut Kangur (youth symphony orchestras), Ando Kiviberg (folk music), Siim Aimla (rock). Joint choirs will be conducted by Raul Talmar, Ants Soots, Olari Elts, Tiia-Ester Loitme and Veronika Portsmuth.
Every choir type will perform new pieces by Estonian composers: Olav Ehala’s „The wide world begins in a small land“ (text Viiu Härm) for joint choirs, Tauno Aints’s „For repetition“ (text Jaan Pehk) for toddlers’ choir, René Eespere „Dies festus“ and Ott Kask’s Blow, Wind! for wind orchestra, Piret Rips-Laul’s „Being a part of my land“ (text Leelo Tungal) for children’s choir, Tõnu Kõrvits’s Canon for youth symphony orchestra, Aare Kruusimäe’s „A song of a beautiful joy“ (text Leelo Tungal) for girls’ choir, Erki Meister’s „A song of sky axle“ (text: Indian folklore) and Priit Pajusaar’s „UFO’s song“ (text Aapo Ilves) for boys’ choir, Kadri Hunt’s „Created to be a singer“ (text: folklore) for young male choirs and Erki Meister’s „Servants of fire“ (text Erki Meister) for boys’ and young male choir will be premiered.
XI Youth Song and Dance Celebration is part of the program of European Capital of Culture Tallinn 2011.
Read more: http://maa-ja-ilm.laulupidu.ee/english/visitor/