EÜS male choir marks anniversaries with new album
Tuesday 25th August 2026 on 16:15 in
Estonia
The male choir of the Estonian Students’ Society, or EÜS, is releasing its second album to mark the choir’s 140th anniversary and the 175th anniversary of its founder, Karl August Hermann, ERR reported.
The album, titled “Vennad, oh astugem nüüd!” includes Hermann’s own compositions and lyrics, as well as new works and arrangements of well-known choral songs.
It features three of Hermann’s songs and two new male choir arrangements of his better-known pieces “Süda tuksub” and “Kungla rahvas”. The choir also commissioned three entirely new works based on texts from Hermann’s verse notebooks. They were composed by artists who do not usually write choral music.
In addition to Hermann, the album includes compositions and arrangements by Maria Väli, Pille-Rite Rei, Madis Kreevan, Sander Pehk and Kuldar Schüts.
“The idea of recording an album with the male choir has been on my mind for a long time, with the support of my fellow society members,” conductor Oliver Povel said. “We did not want to make an album consisting only of old and familiar songs. I wanted something more special, something important to our male choir, the Estonian Students’ Society and choral singing traditions.”
“The choir’s founder and first conductor was Karl August Hermann, and not every choir or conductor can say that they sing or conduct Hermann’s choir. That is how the idea emerged to make an album of the music and work of our honorary alumnus,” Povel said.
The album will be presented in late September in Põltsamaa, Tartu and Tallinn.
The roots and founding of the EÜS male choir date back to the creation of the Estonian Students’ Society in the 1870s. Hermann promoted singing by organising song evenings at his home twice a month and encouraging fellow society members to learn more Estonian.
In spring 1886, the choir gave its first public performances in Tartu, including at exhibitions and sales organised by Hermann and at the Church of St Mary and St Peter.
The EÜS male choir resumed activities in 2004. Since then, it has taken part in all general and youth song festivals, performed at the Gaudeamus student song and dance festival, and given concerts in Canada, the United States, Sweden, Belgium and Finland. In 2014, the choir recorded its first album under conductor Mikk Dede.