Tallinn Song and Dance festival to celebrate 26th anniversary

  • 2014-01-16
  • From wire reports, TALLINN

Dozens of music events are planned in Tallinn this year, the city's tourism board has said. 

The unbeatable highlight of this year is the Song and Dance Celebration celebrating its 26th year on July 4-6, 2014.

This massive folk gathering, dating back as far as 1869, has played an important role in the formation of Estonian national identity throughout the centuries. The three day festival will see thousands of local singers dressed in traditional garments performing local choral compositions. Every festival also hosts many international choirs from all over the world.

Tallinn is also the home of many internationally recognized classical musicians, with the local composer Arvo Pärt nominated for the best contemporary classical composition at this year's Grammy Awards. Pärt's work is much loved in Hollywood, with his Fratres for Cello and Piano playing a major role in Paul Thomas Anderson's film There Will Be Blood.

British classical music database Bachtrack announced that Pärt was the top living classical composer whose music is played most frequently around the world.