From Tartu to Bury St Edmunds; a Musical Bridge

26.03.2010 - 28.03.2010

In March, there will be the rare opportunity to hear the beauty and complexity of Estonian choir music, backed up by the best of British choral music.

Emajoe Laulikud is a highly professional ladies choir based in Tartu, Estonia.  Although only a few years’ old, they have established a reputation for themselves and gained respect from fellow musicians for the quality of their sound, the musical challenges they set themselves; the accuracy of delivery and the emotional expression they display in performance. This will be their first tour outside their native Estonia, and we feel privileged that they have chosen to come to Britain.

At 3.00pm on 28th March, they will perform in Trinity Methodist church, Bury St Edmunds with Aquarius Singers, Bury St Edmunds best-loved ladies choir, who since their formation by Gill Garside in 1999, have built up a solid reputation, based on programmes ranging from Faure’s requiem and Vivaldi’s Gloria to folksongs and songs from the shows..

On Friday 26th March 7.30, Emajoe Laulikud will team up with the renowned local choir, St Edmundsbury Male Voice Choir for an evening to raise money for the Mayor’s charities. This will take place in one of Britain’s most beautiful parish church, St Mary’s, with the only known processional angel beam roof and the grave of Mary Tudor, Henry VIII’s sister.

As well as an opportunity for you to hear a wide range of music from each choir’s extensive repertoire, the programme will include two highly significant pieces by the two choirs together. John Tavener, arguably Britain’s leading composer, wrote ‘Open Secret’, an inter-faith anthem, especially for these choirs. This combines Islamic text and music linking Orthodox and English church Music traditions….while from across the North Sea comes the spine-chillingly emotive love song ‘Ood armastusele’. [‘Our love is a double star; each in our own orbit but bound together for ever’]. The choirs last performed this (together with a few thousand other people) when they sang together at the VVX Laulupidu – the Song Festival in Tallinn last July.

St Edmundsbury MVC has a close working relationship with the Baltic countries. This began as a way of studying and learning from the Baltic choral traditions by seeking to work together with practitioners of the Art. Since this time, SEMVC performed in all three Baltic countries in 2006, with concerts in Tallinn, Tartu, Riga and Vilnius; in 2008, the esteemed Tallinn choir, ETAM performed in Bury St Edmunds Huntingdon and London; you can read of SEMVC’s involvement  in the Song Festival in the autumn 2009 edition of  ‘Lennuk’; and in October, SAKALAS the police choir from Vilnius will be performing here in Britian with SEMVC.

While here they will take part in the two formal concerts, but if you are in Cambridge in the afternoon of  27th March, you can probably come across one of their informal singing opportunities, which are being planned as you read this!

For concert details, please ring:

Ed Wilson 01359 240489 [St Edmundsbury Male Voice Choir]
Gill Garside 01284 700347 [Aquarius Singers]

For further information:

Emajoe Laulikud      www.laulikud.ee

Aquarius Singers     www.aquarius-singers.co.uk

St Edmundsbury Male Voice Choir     www.semvc.com