The first feminist concert performance by the Estonian National Male Choir features works and new commissions by Miina Härma and various Estonian female composers.

Miina Härma was among the earliest composers in Estonia to write music for male choirs. While her songs remain widely known and frequently performed today, the historical context of her self-assertion is often overlooked. Her music was included in the program of the first All-Estonian Song Festival in 1891, yet she was permitted to conduct her own works only five years later at the subsequent festival.

“A hen is no bird, a woman is no human,” was a mocking phrase used against the first Estonian suffragists during the early years of the Republic as they sought to organize and advocate for equal opportunities. Turning a negative stereotype to their advantage, these women formed poultry farming societies as a cover to advance their economic independence and secure a public voice.

Following Miina Härma, a considerable gap remained in Estonian female composition until Ester Mägi established her presence, successfully carving out her path during an era when Veljo Tormis dominated the Estonian choral music scene.

Today, women can become conductors and prime ministers, though still largely as exceptions. Meanwhile, we continue to inhabit a world rife with domestic violence, grooming, and sexism, alongside growing radicalization among youth. To what extent should women demand that their voices be heard, and at what point does feminism become perceived as too radical? Has a woman finally become recognized as a human being, or is she still expected to offer a gentle smile and produce offspring on command? Can a woman simultaneously embody a matriarch and a madonna, and why are women still dismissed as snakes and a flock of hens?

Andra Teede

This performance amplifies the creative voices of numerous Estonian female composers, delivered directly through the vocal power of the choir. The musical narrative originates with Miina Härma and traces a path to the present day. With any luck, the experience will shift perspectives, prompting the audience to view even the most familiar choral classics in an entirely new light.

Duration: appr. 1 h 30 min (no intermission)