“Music is the universal language of mankind,” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote. The truth of his statement was evident during and after the Sunday, March 20, 2016 broadcast of Music & the Spoken Word.

The Female Alumnae Choir of Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia performed two numbers on the broadcast: “Anima nostra sicut passer” in Latin, and “Karske neiu” in their native tongue.  It was an opportunity for them to share the strong Estonian tradition of choral music.  Historically, music has been the Estonians’ unifying weapon of choice as they sought to free themselves from the political domination and rule of other nations. Estonia is often referred to as the “singing nation” because of their traditional dedication to large music festivals where for 140 years the love of choral performance has been fostered.

The international flavor continued after the broadcast with a special encore.  The American International Choir Festival, sponsored by INTERKULTUR and Brigham Young University, took place in Provo, Utah earlier that week. After the broadcast, 225 additional American International Choir Festival participants joined the Female Alumnae Choir, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and the Orchestra at Temple Square to perform Antonin Dvořák’s “Gloria” from the Mass in D, under the direction of Dr. Mack Wilberg. The combination of all of these choral voices, with the beauty of the Orchestra at Temple Square, gave all those present a musical experience to remember. Music was truly the universal language that day.