An excellent choice for the primary musical number and the conductor’s role as a mother figure became, for me, two rather engaging undercurrents beneath the flow of musical numbers at a recent concert in Toronto’s Estonian House. The choir, called Ööbik (pronounced “eubique” à la française) had been producing concert-cabarets for years but this time came up with a few emotional jolts in front of a full-house on Saturday, May 25.
We are familiar with Simmeree’s current key players. Rosemarie Lindau – soloist and conductor, Charles Kipper - pianist aka orchestra, Avo Kittask - lead performer and prime vocalist, Anne Altosaar – conceptual creator and scriptwriter. This is where I’m compelled to halt and start explaining.
First the music. A traditional musical show tends to highlight and end with a big number, a song that captures its overall feel in terms of storyline and music. In this case the pick of the lot was a Canadian-born song written by the sea, reflecting not only the atmosphere of the concert – the world’s oceans and its islands visited by forty singing would-be pirates - but also the deeper character of the choir – its younger members, its future.
“We Rise Again” is more than a song. It is an anthem of renewal. ,,We rise again in the faces of our children, we rise again in the waves out in the ocean”. Thank you, Mr. Leon Dubinsky, sitting somewhere on a rock by Cape Breton’s seaside and perhaps jotting down another musical idea. And thank you whoever picked the song for this show, itself called ,,Aarete saar – Treasure Island”. Sung well at the end of both acts, the composition evolved into a renewed treasure. (Loe pikemalt 14. juuni Eesti Elu paberlehest.)