LOS ANGELESE SEGAKOOR 60
Ajalooline kokkuvõte Kaie Pallo, text Reet Rand, tõlge Matti Riivald
Südames, meeles, laulus ja keeles, Eesti mu sünnimaa!
Los Angelese Eesti Segakoor asutati 1949.a. oktoobris. Esimeseks koorijuhiks valiti äsja Saksamaalt saabunud Rein Neggo. Koor asus tegevusse Eesti Seltsi allorganistasioonina. Esimene kontsert sai teoks 1951.a. kevadel Odd Fellows Hall’is. Nüüd asus koor viima eesti laulu ka teiste rahvuste ette. Eriti sõbralik vahekord loodi soomlastest hõimuvelledega. Eesti Maja muretsemise järel Los Angeleses kandus ka koori tegevus üle sinna. 1957.a sügisel toimus koorijuhi kohal muudatus. Kutsealased õppetööd sundisid Rein Neggo loobuma mõneks ajaks kooriga töötamisest. Uueks koorijuhiks valiti senine sõprusliige Jaak Kukk. Mõned aastad hiljem liitus taas Rein Neggo koori töösse. Koor tegutses eeskujulikus koostöös kahe koorijuhi käe all. Kuni 1970.a tegutses koor LA Eesti Seltsi Segakoori nime all. Sellest peale muudeti nimi Los Angelese Eesti Segakoor. 1971.a. astus koor Eesti Organisatsioonide Liit Läänerannikul liikmeks. Segakoori tegevust on ilmestanud tema raugematu järjekindlus. Igal kevadel antakse korraline aastakontsert. Koor on kaasa teinud kõik Lääneranniku Eesti Päevad, kas osalise koosseisu või tervikuna.
Kooril on olnud kaks lippu. Esimese sini-must-valge trikoloori kinkis koorile Ida Klein. Teise, mille üks külg trikoloori vastas kujutab koori märki koori nime sõõris, kujundas Jaak Kukk. Lipu annetas koorile Sally Mets. Koori rinnamärgi kavandi valmistas kooriliige Arnold Paabus. Selleks on eesti rahvusvärvide kolmikule asetatud hõbekannel lehepärjas. Kooril on ka nö. Kuldmärk. Selle omanikud on praeguseks Rein Neggo, Jaak Kukk ja Kaie Pallo.
Koori motoks on “Südames, meeles, laulus ja keeles, Eesti mu sünnimaa!”. Muusika sellele kirjutas Jaak Kukk. Jaak Kukk on olnud koorijuhi ametis üle 50 aasta. Alates 2003. a sügisest juhatab koori Kaie Pallo. Hetkel on Los Angelese Eesti Segakoori ridades 21 lauljat.
Los Angelese Eesti segakoor linnulennult:
LES loodi: 1949
Koori esimene dirigent: Rein Neggo
Kõige staazikam laulja: Kuno Lill
Kõige noorem laulja: Mari-Liis Pallo
Kõige rohkem lauljaid: umbes 60
Hetkel lauljaid: täpselt 21
Praegune dirigent: Kaie Pallo
Koori lemmiklaulud: K. Unt “Üksteist peab hoidma” ja P. Sarapik “Ta lendab mesipuu poole”
Koor kui orkester: kamba peale mängitkase klarnetit, saksofoni, klaverit, kannelt, kitarri ja akordioni.
Los Angelese segakoori kauaaegne dirigent Jaak Kukk on Westholmi Gümnaasiumi poiss. Kodus klaverit klimberdades õppis ta selle instrumendi mängu pikapeale ise selgeks. Tõsisema muusikahuvi päris ta aga oma gümnaasiumi muusikaõpetajalt Tuudur Vettik’ult. Kooli ajal laulis ta oma kooli kooris ning mangis tsellot gümnaasiumi orkestris ja Tallinna Keskkoolidevahelises Sümfooniaorkestris, mille tegevus katkes sõja ajal. Sõjakeerises sattus noormees Saksamaale, kus ta alustas Erlangeni Ülikooli juures muusikateooria õpinguid. Sõjapõgenikuna Ameerika Ühendriikidesse jõudes ka see koolitee katkes…
Muusika on Jaak Kukk’e jaoks alati olnud tema esimene armastus. Ameerikas elades tuli aga ka praktiliselt mõelda, ning õppida endale elukutse, millega endale elatist teenida. Nii sai Jaagust edukas arhitekt. Mitme mõjuka arhitektuuribüroo juures projekti arthitektina töötades valmisid tema projektidena mitmed haiglad ja meditsiinihooned.
1949 a. loodi San Francisco eesti segakoor, mida noor muusikamees Jaak Kukk juhatama asus. Selle koori eestotsas sai oldud 5 aastat. 1957 a. Los Angelesse kolides rakendas ta oma musikaalset talenti Los Angelese segakoori juhatama asudes, seda Rein Neggo’ga kahasse. Paari aasta möödudes laulis Los Angelese segakoor vaid tema taktikepi all edasi. Koori elus on on paremaid ja halvemaid aegu. Koori õitseajal laulis ühtsetes ridades ligi 60 lauljat. Koori 25. juubeli puhul anti lausa välja segakoori juubeliplaat. Peale 46 aastat koori dirigendina andis 2003 a. Jaak Kukk oma taktikepi üle koori praegusele dirigendile Kaie Pallo‘le. Koori kõrghetkedeks peab Jaak Kukk kõiki Lääneranniku Eesti Päevi, kus Los Angelese segakoor kaasa on löönud. Samuti traditsiooniks kujunenud koori kevadkontserte. Aastaid on segakoor sõprust pidanud saksa naiskooriga “Frohsinn”. Kuigi kauneid kooriteoseid on palju, peab ta oma lemmikuks oma esimese muusikaõpetaja Tuudur Vettiku “Noktürni”, mida ta 1999. a. Los Angeleses toimunud Lääneranniku Päevadel dirigeerida õnnestus.
Kaie Pallo on pärit Võrust. Ta kasvas üles muusikat armastavas peres, kus üheltki perekondlikult ürituselt ei puudunud laul ega muusika. Tema muusikapisik on pärit emapoolsetelt vanavanematelt, kes laulsid ja mängisid erinevaid pille. Vanaisa klaverimäng insipireeris noort Kaiet niivõrd, et ise klaveri taha istudes seal samas kõiki lugusid järgi mängida proovis. Vanaema soov oli, et Kaie hakkaks klaverit õppima. Peagi leidis ta end koos emaga muusikakooli sisseastumiseksamitelt. Tema muusikaline teekond saigi alguse Võru Lastemuuskakoolist, mille lõpetades läks ta õppima Viljandi Kultuurikooli, mis praegu Viljandi Kultuurikolledzi nime kannab. Tema erialaks sai koorijuhtimine. Koorijuhtimise õpingud jätkusid ka Tallinna Konsistooriumi muusikaosakonnas, kus küll tema põhierialaks sai orel.
Kaiet köidab koorijuhtimise juures dirigendi ja lauljate vaheline kontakt. Tema suurim rõõm on kui koor oma lauluga suudab väljendada seda, mida ta näidata püüdis ja laulust ootas. Talle meeldib dirigeerida hoogsaid ja lõbusaid laule. Kaie lemmikuteks on K. A. Hermanni, M. Härma, A. Kunileid ja Säbelman. Kaie usub ja loodab, et koorilaul elab eestlaste südames veel kaua, kaua…
“In my heart, soul, song and language, Estonia, land of my birth”
The Los Angeles Estonian Mixed Chorus was founded in October of 1949. Rein Neggo, recently arrived from Germany, was elected as its first choir director. The choir began activities as one of the Estonian Association’s sub-organizations. The first concert was given in 1951 at the Odd Fellows Hall. Thus, the choir began introducing Estonian song to other nationalities. As a result, an especially warm association developed with our Finnish kindred brothers. After the purchase of the Estonian House, the choir’s activities moved to its halls. In the fall of 1957, Rein Neggo’s studies in preparation for the pastorate forced him to leave his duties as choir director and Jaak Kukk, a member of the choir’s friendship organization, was elected as choir director. Some years later, Rein Neggo rejoined the choir as co-director. The choir performed well in cooperation with and under the stellar direction of both men. The choir remained the LA Estonian Association Mixed Chorus until 1970. After that its name was changed to the Los Angeles Estonian Mixed Chorus. In 1971, the choir joined the West Coast Estonian Association. The choir’s activities have been buttressed by its unabated consistency. Every spring the choir presents its annual concert. The choir, either in whole or by some of its members, has participated in every West Coast Estonian days.
The choir has had two flags. The first blue-black-white tricolor was given to the choir by Ida Klein. The second, on which one side depicts the tricolor of the flag and the other side the choir’s pin within the circle of the choir’s name, was designed by Jaak Kukk. This flag was presented to the choir by Sally Mets. The choir lapel pin was designed by choir member Arnold Paabus. The upper half has as part of its design a silver harp within a wreath of leaves, with the lower half showing a vertical depiction of the colors of the Estonian flag. The choir also has a so-called gold pin. This pin has been awarded to only three persons thus far, Rein Neggo, Jaak Kukk and Kaie Pallo.
The choir’s musical motto is, “In my heart, soul, song and language, Estonia, land of my birth”. The music for the motto was composed by Jaak Kukk. Jaak Kukk directed the choir for over 50 years. Beginning in the fall of 2003, Kaie Pallo has been the director. Presently there are 21 singers in the choir.
Los Angeles Association Choir – At a glance
Founded: 1949
First Choir Director: Rein Neggo
Singer with the longest tenure: Kuno Lill
Youngest Singer: Mari-Liis Pallo
Greatest Number of Singers: 60
Present Number of Singers: 21
Current Director: Kaie Pallo
Choir Favorites: K. Unt “Üksteist Peab Hoidma” and “Ta Lendab Mesipuu Poole”
The choir as an orchestra: Various members play clarinet, saxophone, piano, guitar, accordion and zither
Longtime Los Angeles Estonian Mixed Choir director, Jaak Kukk, is a graduate of Westholm Gymnasium, a high-class secondary school. Playing around on the keyboard at home, he taught himself to play the piano. More serious musical studies followed at Westholm under the tutelage of Tuudur Vettik. As a student he sang in the school choir and played cello with the Gymnasium orchestra and the Tallinn combined high schools symphony orchestra, which was cut short by the onset of war. In the confusion of war, the young man landed in Germany where he started his musical theory studies at the Erlangen University. Arriving in America as a war refugee, even those studies ended.
Music has always been Jaak’s first love. However, living in America required some practical thinking and preparing for a profession with which to provide a living. Thus Jaak became a successful architect. Working at several highly-regarded architectural firms, he completed numerous hospitals and medical buildings throughout his career.
In 1949, Jaak Kukk became conductor of the San Francisco Estonian Choir. He led the choir for five years. In 1957 he moved to Los Angeles and lent his musical gifts to conducting the Los Angeles Estonian Mixed Choir in joint partnership with Rein Neggo. After a couple of years, the choir sang solely under his baton. Over the years, there have been good and bad times for the choir. During the choir’s heyday, as many as 60 singers raised their voices as one. At the 25th anniversary, the choir even recorded an album. In 2003, after 46 years as choir director, Jaak handed the conductor’s baton over to current director, Kaie Pallo. Jaak considers the choir’s high points to be the West Coast Estonian Days Festivals where the choir participated throughout the years as well as the traditional Spring Concerts of the choir. Over the years, the choir has had a choral friendship with the German women’s choir, “Frohsinn”.
Though there have been numerous choir works for which Jaak has an affinity, his favorite is still his first music professor, Tuudur Vettik’s “Nocturne”, which he was fortunate enough to direct at the 1999 Los Angeles West Coast Estonian Days.
Kaie Pallo hails from Võru, Estonia. She grew up in a music loving family where every family event included songs and music. Her musical interests germinated from her mother’s side grandparents who sang and played a variety of instruments. Her grandfather’s piano playing inspired young Kaie so much that she would right then and there sit at the piano and try to play the same tunes. Her grandmother’s wish was that Kaie begin studying the piano. And so it was that Kaie soon found herself with her mother taking a music school entrance examination. Her musical path began at the Võru Children’s Music School, from which she graduated and then continued her studies at the Viljandi Cultural School, which is today known as Viljandi Cultural College, where she became a conducting major. She continued her conducting studies at the Tallinn Consistorium’s music division, where, however, her major was the organ.
Having a connection between the conductor and the choir is what binds Kaie to her task. Her greatest joy comes from moments when the choir achieves that which she hopes her conducting will bring forth. She loves to conduct lively and joyful songs. Her favorites include compositions by K.A. Hermann, M. Härma, A. Kunileid and Säbelman. Kaie believes and hopes that choir music will live in the hearts of Estonians for a long, long time.
The historical overview of the choir Kaie Pallo, text Reet Rand, translation Matti Riivald
May 10th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Palju õnne ja rohkeid aastaid veel juubilarile. See koor on olnud meie Lääneranniku eestlaskonna muusikaline innustus juba algusest peale.