The Californian choir were greeted warmly at Tallinn's port terminal with a musical performance by conductor Aarne Saluveer and the ETV boys , girls and children's choirs.

The Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir has been taking part in the Estonian Song Festival since 2009, with their involvement even becoming the subject of the documentary film "Üheshingamine" ("To Breathe as One") back in 2013

The choir's artistic director Eric Tuan told ERR that their trip to Estonia had gone well and that they also had time to spend a week in Finland before arriving in Tallinn. "The fatigue from the schedule is over now, but because we've been giving concerts every day, we are still a bit exhausted," he said.

Tuan sees the Song Festival as an important opportunity to experience national unity. "At a time when nationalism is very acute in our country, it teaches us how national identity can be peaceful and beautiful. I hope my singers feel that here," he said.

Tuan admitted that learning to sing in Estonian was a challenge. "The hardest part was the words, of course, but we had two great assistants – a child and an adult – who helped us out. I'm really grateful for that, because Estonians are honest – they'll tell you straight up if something sounds bad," he laughed.

The choir's favorite song is "Oma mõtete mets" by Aare Külama and Haldi Välimäe.

"The message of the song is about building bridges between cultures – no matter where we go, friendships are always formed. It touched us deeply, because that's what we experience on our travels," said Tuan.

All the events from the 2025 Song and Dance Festival can be followed live on ERR here.

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