Day 10 - Welcome to Tallin!

7:30am wake up for everyone to get to the ferry! Everyone ate one last breakfast in the hostel and made went down our tour-perfected sandwich line to make a snack for the boat ride. A short bus ride to the terminal then Ensemble enjoyed a two hour ride from Helsinki to Tallinn. The singers gathered on the sun deck for a first glimpse of the bandshell (also called the singing arch) on the Laulupidu festival grounds and sang “Ta Lendab Mesipuu Poole” in anticipation of docking.

Aarne Saluveer, Director of the Estonian Television Choir and Director of Song for the Laulupidu, met us at the ferry terminal. Some Estonian press was also there to hear about the choir who had traveled the farthest for the Song Festival. The singers gave a lively rendition of “Lauljate tervitus” for the cameras and passengers disembarking. Aarne then led us on a tour of the tsar’s palace dating back to the Russian Empire in the 18th century. Built in the Italian Baroque style, the palace is surrounded by the gardens of Versailles. There were numerous photos with the roses and down the terraces steps.

After our short tour, it was off to the church for the Bob’s last Ensemble concert of the tour! With a fantastic set of PEBCC commissioned music and other pieces, the audience applauded him and Ensemble with gratitude and enthusiasm. ETV had a number of groups perform, allowing the singers to appreciate their peers’ artistry and musical fluidity. The concert was particularly moving during some of the masses pieces with all singers joining together. All of the conductors from ETV along with Bob, Eric, and Sue rotated through conducting the final piece with the masses choir. Exhilarated but tired from the long day, singers were matched with their homestays after the concert.