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EESTI ELU reedel, 8. juulil 2022 — Friday, July 8, 2022
Nr. 27
Time Machine: Toronto Eesti Meeskoor’s Canadian musical memories Vincent Teetsov Toronto Eesti Meeskoor (TEM, or Toronto Estonian Male Choir) is a choir that needs no introduction. Founded in the year 1950, its accomplishments are well established on a global Esto nian community level. As TEM declares, they are “the only expatriate Estonian [male choir] still active out side Estonia.” The current reduced array of perhaps 25 to 35 voices is among the persevering force of Estonian culture in the Canadian cultural scene. Historically, one of the choir’s most famous concerts, on the occasion of their 50th concert, was at Massey Hall on April 19th, 1964. Imagine that, Estonian songs filling the rafters of the Grand Old Lady of Shuter Street! Nearly seven years later, Neil Young would play there, taped for the classic album Live at Massey Hall 1971. There’s plenty more proof of the respect this choir built for itself in Canada, though. Between 1952 and 1973, the period in which TEM was conducted by Roman Toi, two shows in particular stand out. The first was in Stratford, Ontario, for the Stratford Shakespearean Festival of Canada (now known simply as the Stratford Festival). It was Sunday July 15th, 1956, which places the show three years after the festival’s founding. Parks Canada states that the festival had developed “an international reputation for ex cellence in the classics... attract-
ing outstanding talent from across the country.” Aligning with this account is the first TEM album (covering the years 1950 to 1970) which describes how TEM performed to a “particularly demanding inter national audience.” It was a momentous time for Toi, who also became a Canadian citizen around this time. The Stratford TEM performance would have taken place in a somewhat temporary venue built in the festival’s first year. It was, as The Parlour Inn in Stratford recalls, “a concrete amphitheatre with a tent roof. This design lasted for the theatre’s first four seasons, and in 1956, the tent came down and the building of a permanent structure began...” TEM’s concert was among the final performances in this old space before it was taken down. The following summer, the brand new Festival Theatre designed by Robert Fairfield was completed. Of course, the choir’s prestige only grew from there. In November 1970, TEM were appointed by Ontario to perform over two days as the province’s representative at the province of Manitoba’s centennial celebrations, organized by the Manitoba Centennial Corporation. This included an “Ontario Day”, for which the Winnipeg Free Press spoke excitedly about the impending arrival of what the choir in the weeks preceding the concert, in an article titled “Cross-Canada Choirs At Alex.” As documented by Evald Raid in Vaba Eestlane news paper and by Olaf Kopvillem in the second TEM album (cover-
Canada Day in Estonia
On the occasion of Canada Day, a reception was held by The Ambassador of Canada H.E. Mr. Kevin Rex on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 at the Põhjala Brewery & Tap Room. Photos: Ülo Isberg
Toronto Estonian Male Choir at Massey Hall in 1965, on the 15th anniversary of its founding. Photo: Uno Kabal
ing 1970 to 1993), it was to be a “crossing [of] linguistic and cultural borders.” The choir’s first day in Winnipeg – Novem ber 21st, 1970 – was jam packed with three concerts. First was a six-song matinée for recovering patients at Princess Elizabeth Hospital (now part of Riverview Health Centre). Following this was a two hour evening show with a reception in between at the luxurious Royal Alexandra Hotel in north Winnipeg. The choir, who were preceded on stage by a girl’s choir and a Korean mixed choir, were performing at what was then a major social hub for the city. Among the choir’s repertoire at the concert were compositions by Oskar Merikanto, Edvard Grieg, the Irish folk song “The Galway Piper”, Roman Toi’s cantata “Vahi mees” and three of Toi’s compositions-arrangements, including “Eidekene ketrab” and “Kanneldaja.” The crowd loved what they heard and heaped praise onto the singers in the reception between the two performances. Among the audience at this show were a majority of Winni peg’s Estonian population (estimated to be 100 people at the time) in addition to government representatives from Manitoba and Ontario. Andres Raudsepp – singer, guitarist, producer, and a TEM member since 1964 – was a Master of Ceremonies for the 1970 Manitoba concerts and was instrumental to introducing the choir’s music to Canadian audiences through his “humorous and expressive” explanations in English, as is described in the album. Soon after, Roman Toi passed the conductor’s baton on to his brother Harri, and left for Switzerland to obtain Master’s qualifications in composition. When he returned, Raudsepp notes that Toi “spent two years achieving the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the field of Estonian Folk Music” and then began working as a staff member at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Aside from sustaining its musical reputation, how did the Toronto Estonian Male Choir gain top performance oppor tunities like these? Ingenuity in
leadership was part of the equation. The choir was savvy in its development strategy from the beginning. August Kiilaspea, the choir’s conductor for the first two years, made connections within the Estonian community. When Roman Toi was asked to conduct TEM, they benefited from his expertise in leading the choirs of Displaced Persons camps in Germany after the Second World War. Andres Raudsepp confirms that Toi was also “a driving force in the formation of a series of Estonian male choir joint festival concerts in North America. He worked in tandem with the New York Estonian male choir.” On one occasion detailed in the first TEM album, he mobilized nearly 200 singers from five choirs for a joint concert at Massey Hall. On Saturday night, May 26th, 1956, 2,300 people filed into Massey Hall to watch them, 83 percent of the venue’s designated capacity. At the very least, every singer
invited about 11 of their friends, but evidently, word was spreading about the choir. Outside of Canada, in the 50s, TEM went on a lengthy Euro pean tour. In 1967, they toured from BC to California for the Lääneranniku Eesti Päevad (West Coast Estonian Days), culminating with a performance in San Francisco. When it comes down to it, though, the choir’s success is founded on a cohesiveness that can be heard by listeners to this day. ••• More information about Toronto Eesti Meeskoor’s history can be found in the form of audio recordings, concert programs, and song books in the Estonian Museum Canada (VEMU) archival collection. For background on Dr. Roman Toi and key moments in his composing and conducting career, visit vemu.ca/toi105 to look through the exhibit (in Estonian) created by Estonian Museum Canada.
News release: Global Affairs Canada
dent ambassador in Armenia, allowing for stronger bilateral ties and increased Canadian support for Armenian democracy. This diplomatic expansion will help guide Canada’s response to evolving security threats, enhance political and economic cooperation to support European Allies, and further counter the impacts of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and support Armenia in its democratic development. Since Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine, the world is experiencing a profound geopolitical shift with political, economical, security and environmental impacts, and Canada must act strategically to promote our interests and democracy against growing authoritarian forces. This includes pushing back on Russian influence, whether they assert it through soft power, disinformation or military force. These measures will ensure deeper collaboration between Canada and its international partners to effectively address the shifting security and diplomatic landscape to protect peace and democracy in Europe and globally.
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, recently announced an expan sion of Canada’s diplomatic presence and capacity in Central and Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. We are converting current Canadian offices in Estonia, Lithuania, and Slovakia – countries with strong and growing bilateral ties with Canada and key NATO Allies – into full embassies with resident ambassadors, and strengthening our presence at our embassy in Latvia. These changes will further enhance Canada’s engagement in the region, help counter Russia’s destabilizing activities and increase support for Operation REASSURANCE. In addition, following the mission and report of Stéphane Dion, Canada’s Special Envoy to the European Union and Europe and Ambassador to Germany, on ways to increase Canadian support for Armenian democracy, Canada will also open a full embassy with a resi-
