Study finds communal singing excludes more Baltic residents

A study has found that communal singing in the Baltic states is no longer inclusive of all groups, with more people saying they do not feel part of a “singing nation,” ERR reported. The Integration Foundation presented the findings on Wednesday from CRIES, a project involving cultural researchers from the Baltic states and Denmark.

People who do not speak the local language, as well as unemployed and older people with limited money and opportunities to attend gatherings and large events, take part in communal singing less often, the study found.

In Estonia, choir singing has also lost ground in large cities, where people have many other leisure options. Ruta Muktupavela, a professor at the Latvian Academy of Culture and one of the researchers, said that people outside the majority ethnic groups participate less in communal singing and in song and dance festivals.

Muktupavela also said that some people would like to enjoy singing but feel they do not have a good singing voice. She said platforms should be developed for people who want to take part but feel their artistic ability is not good enough.