Day 12: Fun with ETVers

Singers had another relaxed morning to hang out with their homestays before we gathered at 11 at Mere (sea) Gate to enter TSFG for our first rehearsal with the full children’s choir. It was impressive to hear the dynamics and expressiveness the conductors were able to get from such a large number of young singers. Between songs, the choir was greeted by the President of Estonia!

We had a break between rehearsals for lunch. With more people on the grounds today, the soup line took a long time. Today’s soup was a nice borsch. Singers who made it through the line first waited patiently for those who took longer; they passed the time playing “Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky” clapping game with some of our new ETV children’s choir friends. Mei was the winner!

After the traditional post-lunch ice cream we had about 30 minutes to explore TSFG in groups and browse the crafts, food, and merch booths. Some singers bought shirts or pastries; Ayla bought an Estonian flag to wave proudly. Soon it was time to line up again for the second rehearsal, but since our singers are some of the last to enter the performance area we had more time to play clapping games. This time they learned a new Estonian clapping game with ETV girls. This second rehearsal is the biggest choir we’ve seen yet! The mix of adult and child singers makes an incredible, huge sound. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any bigger even MORE singers filed in and trumpets sounded from the top of the radio tower for the Estonian National Anthem.

Rehearsals done for the day, we left TSFG by city bus to go to the open air museum with our ETV host families. While waiting for our bus we stopped at a playground to run wild for a bit!

We made our way to the Tallinn open air museum, an outdoor collection of historical buildings and homes showing the cultural heritage and traditional building techniques from the past, and how Estonian villagers lived. Here we shared a dinner with our ETV host families and the families on the companion tour. Of course we also sang for each other and played circle singing games!

Tired singers went home with their hosts to rest up for the opening day of Laulupidu tomorrow.