The Estonian National Male Choir (known in Estonia as RAM) is not only one of Estonia's cultural symbols, but also a true phenomenon in worldwide contemporary choral music. It is a full-time professional concert choir of close to 60 men, a collective that seems to have no analogues wherever you look. The choir turned 60 last year and has given nearly 6000 concerts in all imaginable venues, from shopping malls to Carnegie Hall, and with all kinds of repertoires, from Gregorian chant to Georgian chant, and everything else in between.

It may depend on how you see it, but for many the glory days of RAM are in the past. In musical terms that's not true: the choir is more versatile than ever, and able to master more styles and genres. It won the much-desired Grammy award for the best choral recording last year and has a new energetic chief conductor. But if we think of RAM's symbolic value for Estonia and Estonians, we can not deny that it was larger during the Soviet era, especially the tender post-war years of the 1940s and 50s. The choir was bigger then, it performed virtually everywhere in Estonia and it was led by Gustav Ernesaks, the choir's legendary founding father, composer and publicist who was recently voted the most influential Estonian of the Millennium.

This was then: RAM on its way to a concert in late 1940s

Choral singing has always been of great importance for Estonians, who since the late 19th century have poured their national feelings and dreams of freedom into song. The choral repertoire in Estonia is vast and virtually every Estonian has some experience in choral singing, be it in a school choir or at the Song Festival, where tens of thousands sing together. Seeing and hearing the then 80-strong male force perform Estonian songs was a very emotional experience, a true miracle during the oppressive "Russian time" (as it was and is usually called). Songs by Estonian classics such as Konstantin Türnpu, Mart Saar, and Artur Kapp were often written before Estonia became part of the Soviet Union and singing and hearing them was as close as you could get to expressing your patriotism.

It is no exaggeration that, during a couple of decades, the choir was more famous than today's Estonian pop idols; in fact the choir singers were almost like pop idols, whether performing in a large choir or in various small groups. They had numerous female admirers, and never left the stage without flowers and encores (sometimes dozens of them). Such popularity was also common in many parts of the huge Soviet Union, where RAM travelled by train and plane, often for months. To illustrate this success, the choir's future conductor Kuno Areng (then one of the singers) recalled a 1949 concert in Riga, Latvia: "The concert had lasted for more than three hours, and we had sung close to 20 encores, but the crowd would not leave. The men had their overcoats on but still they were called back on stage. It was impossible to end that concert."

During the early years RAM sang predominantly miniature songs that stemmed from the German-influenced Liedertafel tradition. In addition the repertoire included songs of different Soviet-friendly nations, as well as a few odd Western classical pieces, among them "The Echo" by Orlando di Lasso, which was sung surprisingly frequently (although there is doubt whether its interpretation would please the ear of today's early music enthusiast). But as time went by, the artistic ambitions of RAM began to grow and it started to turn into the professional choir that we know today. As always, revolutionary ideas were met with suspicion, innovative opuses found an unenthusiastic response and the leaders were viewed as public enemies. Gradually the ice began to melt and during the 60s, 70s and 80s the choir underwent a remarkable makeover: it collaborated with well-respected orchestras and conductors and interpreted many works specially written for RAM. Veljo Tormis, the living classic of Estonian choral music and one of the most original and influential composers this country has ever produced, has written dozens of male voice pieces for RAM. He admits that hearing this choir was one of his key formative musical influences - also he belongs to the generation that saw RAM at the forefront of Estonian musical life. The Estonian National Male Choir's collaboration with Tormis has now spanned over 40 years and the choir has released many CDs of his music, including the still incomplete series for the Alba label (3 albums are out so far).

During the 1990s RAM became the internationally acclaimed collective that it is today. One of the signs of the times is that the choir enjoys a more enthusiastic response abroad, no matter whether performing in the USA together with the LA Philharmonic or Detroit Symphony Orchestra, or in Europe with maestros such as Leif Segerstam or Esa-Pekka Salonen. At home, much of the past glory has faded. New, more mobile forces are in the spotlight now and RAM is sometimes unable to follow the flow of the crossover trends that seem to be the dominant force of Estonia's music life today. Many see RAM as an ensemble that has "always been there", but this attitude says more about personal prejudices and less about the choir's present shape. In fact, being a state-funded institution, RAM is in great demand, singing large oratorios and many diverse a cappella programs. Ants Soots, the choir's chief conductor for over a decade, has brought many new colors to RAM's sonic canvas. Starting this season, Kaspars Putnins from Latvia continues this work, presenting intriguing programs of familiar and unfamiliar music, including new commissions by no less than Gavin Bryars.

Although the times are changing also for RAM, still, every now and then the true spirit of RAM surfaces and the choir embodies all the power of the rich tradition that has expanded far beyond the choir's 60 years. As I end this article let me give you a piece of good advice - any time you have a chance to see the Estonian National Male Choir in concert, do just that!

Joosep Sang (1971) is a singer, jazz critic, and host at the classical music station of Estonian Radio.