Last days in Estonia

I travelled with cellist Aare and his organist to the Estonian island of Saaremaa. On the way we stopped in Parnu as Aare had to perform the Dvorak Requiem so I listened to the final rehearsal and performance of that. We also picked up a (big cabinet style) electric piano for my outdoor gig on the island, amazingly we got it (dismantled) and the cello and the lovely lady organist all into the car. After the concert we headed for Saaremaa including a ferry crossing (with vehicle). Sometimes classical musicians are more crazy then jazz guys. Travelling to his own festival which he is playing a recital in Aare stops on the way to play a Requiem, waves aside my doubts that we can carry such a big keyboard to the island. I jokingly said we should take the keyboard out of the car and set it up on the ferry for me to play during the 40 minute ride. To my horror he took me seriously and thought it was a good idea ("good promotion"), fortunately he didn't follow through! The recital with organ was beautiful, imagine a small stone church in the middle of a forest on an island. I helped the organist make her stop changes, and she orchestrated my accompaniment to my Ave Maria, changing stops as I played and breathing with every phrase as she had when she played. Then I played my jazz gig in the outdoors. It was accommodation one step above camping, we were on the beach living in huts. Estonia is an amazing place, great feeling for music abounds. The orchestra played with far more depth and pathos than ours do. Every 4 years they have massed choirs singing in a big amphitheatre in Tallinn. People learn difficult choral parts and travel from all around the country to participate, more than 30,000 people form the choir and another 100,000 spectators join in for more familiar pieces, people cry with the emotion of it. I hope to witness it one day.