The Holy Cross College Choir will be performing a program of music from Scandinavia and the Baltics, featuring Kreek’s Notebook by Award-winning Estonian composer Tõnu Kõrvits.

Estonia has a rich tradition of choral music. The country plays host to the Estonian Song Festival, which started in 1869 and currently runs every five years, is one of the largest singing festivals in the world, welcoming over 100,000 people coming together to unite in song. Kreek’s Notebook celebrates the rich heritage of Estonian Choral Music through the use of native folk hymns collected by ethnomusicologist Cyrillus Kreek (1889–1962).

Korvits weaves sacred folk hymns and texts collected by Kreek into his own distinct musical language. A multi-movement work for string orchestra and choir, Kreek’s Notebook synthesizes traditional melodies with thrilling avant-garde string writing, inviting the listener into moments of spiritual contemplation and visceral passion.

Additional works on the program include music by Arvo Pärt, Veljo Tormis, Algirdas Martinaitis, and Laura Jekabsone.