VOTIC WEDDING SONGS

ESTONIAN PHILHARMONIC CHAMBER CHOIR
CONDUCTOR – TÕNU KALJUSTE

ESTONIAN PUBLIC BROADCASTING ARCHIVE 1990

AUTHOR OF THE IDEA – TÕNU KALJUSTE
DIRECTOR – ELMO LÖÖVE
PRODUCERS – ELA TOMSON AND EEVA POTTER

VELJO TORMIS
VOTIC WEDDING SONGS („Vadja pulmalaulud", 1971)
A cycle of Votic folk songs, 2nd part of series "Forgotten Peoples"
1. The Ritual Whisking of the Bride
2. Arrival of the Wedding Guests
3. Mocking Song
4. Distributing the Dowry
5. Instructing the Newlyweds
6. Praising the Cook
7. When I, Little Chick, Was Growing Up

Veljo Tormis’ series "Forgotten Peoples" for mixed choir is a collective musical portrait of six Baltic-Finnic peoples (Livonians, Votes, Izhorians, Vepsians, Ingrians and Karelians) and is based on older folk songs of these small peoples nearing extinction. The inspiration for the "Forgotten Peoples" came from the composer’s visit to Livonians and their territories in 1969. The visit prompted follow-up expeditions which resulted in the six-movement series that was born between 1970 and 1989 and included "Livonian Heritage" („Liivlaste pärandus”, 1970), "Votic Wedding Songs" („Vadja pulmalaulud”, 1971), "Izhorian Epic" („Isuri eepos”, 1975), "Ingrian Evenings" („Ingerimaa õhtud”, 1979), "Vepsian Paths" („Vepsa rajad”, 1983), and "Karelian Destiny" („Karjala saatus”, 1989).

Veljo Tormis has said that he wrote "Forgotten Peoples" at the time when these peoples were facing extinction and being forgotten by the world and perhaps by us as well. Many of the Baltic-Finnic peoples have all but disappeared into other cultures and their languages are spoken by only a few individuals.