Massive choir a place for Estonians to find identity, solace

Tens of thousands of Estonians joined in singing folk songs Sunday on the 150th anniversary of a music festival that inspired resistance to Soviet control and later received recognition from the U.N. cultural agency.

The Estonian Song and Dance Celebration attracted 35,000 singers, more than 1,000 choirs and 700 dance groups to the capital of Tallinn. The event, held every five years, started as a song-only celebration in 1869.

An estimated 90,000 people attended the main concert that closed the festival, which had most of the choirs joining voices for songs with special meaning for Estonians and their national identity. The festival theme this year was "My Fatherland is My Love."
The United Nations' cultural body, UNESCO, has recognized Estonia's folk song festival and similar events in Baltic neighbors Latvia and Lithuania for showcasing the "intangible cultural heritage of humanity."