Nature and its mysterious processes have been inspiring composers for centuries. Nature is especially close to artists from Estonia. Among them were Cyrillus Kreek and Veljo Tormis, both among the greatest composers of the 20th century, and whose works will be performed by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir under the direction of its founder and Artistic Director Tõnu Kaljuste – a well-known and esteemed conductor.

Cyrillus Kreek was born at the end of the 19th century in one of the charming villages in the province of Lääne in the west of Estonia. Folklore contexts were close to his heart almost from the beginning of his career. Kreek’s work includes pieces intended for the most natural instrument – the human voice. It is therefore not surprising that among the artist’s compositions we will find mostly vocal music, in which the theme of nature plays an important role. Over the years, he created numerous transcriptions of folk melodies. He was also one of the first researchers to use the phonograph to record them. These inspirations are strongly reflected in his oeuvre – also in the songs that will be heard that evening. Most of them are based on traditional texts taken from folklore, and the musical layer written by Kreek creates a perfect colourful complement to the verbal content.

Today, the influence of this artist’s music can be seen in the works of several generations of composers from Estonia, including Veljo Tormis. Eesti kalendrilaulud is one of his most famous works belonging to choral literature. It includes five cycles of songs for various ensembles – Mardilaulud (Songs for St Martin’s Day), Kadrilaulud (Songs for St Catherine’s Day), Vastlalaulud (Songs for Shrovetide), Kiigelaulud (Songs on the Swing) and Jaanilaulud (Songs for the eve of St John’s Day). Each of them refers to a holiday in the traditional Estonian agricultural year.