Eastern European Baptist History: New Perspectives, 2007

. The choir, a kind of Christian disciple- ship group, met under the fatherly supervision of pastors Oskar Olvik and Osvald Tark.* Music ministry in the Oleviste Church was rich and many-sided. In 1974 an ensemble called Ihtys came together, being active until 1979. Another ensemble called Rebecca (formed in the 1970s, later called Sanctus) and a youth choir, Randur [Pilgrim] (since 1985), were also significant.** Young people's music groups and choirs became an integral ** The UECBE Senior Presbyter’s report of 1970-1972. VpAruanded, Archive of the UECBE. * The UECBE statistical report 1973. The UECBE statistical reports 1964-1990, Archive of the UECBE. * Toivo Pilli, “Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists of Estonia 1945-1989: Survival Techniques, Outreach Efforts, Search for Identity,’ Baptist History and Heritage, vol. 36, no. 1-2 (Winter-Spring 2001), p. 123. *! Aita Dahl, interview notes (15 January 2001). T. Pilli personal archive. ” Peeter Roosimaa, oral communication (17 July 2002). Peeter Roosimaa was a member of the choir and moderator for its first years of existence. ** Veronika Arder, “Muusikat66” [Music Ministry], in Oleviste 50. Oleviste koguduse juube- likogumik [Oleviste 50. The Anniversary Collection of Oleviste Church] (Tallinn: Oleviste kogudus, 2000), pp. 17-18. 152 part of ECB life in the 1970s and the 1980s. In addition, new music styles - gospel and Christian rock - arrived on the scene. The choir and ensemble Effataa* became the symbol of a new style of music used for the goal of evangelism. . On 23 February 1980 musicians from twenty-five ECB churches formed a “music council’®, a workgroup to coordinate music ministry in ECB churches and offer advice and training to choir conductors and musicians. There was also a smaller workgroup at the ECB office that focused on recording and reproducing audiocassettes, though this had to take place in secret. In 1980, about one thousand copies of the first cassette of Christmas music were prepared. Recordings took place in the Oleviste Church, and the technical team included Raigo Tammo, Mati Sarglepp and Allar Kaasik. Later Tammo recalled, “The tape was practically hand-made.... At the same time there was a fear that [the KGB] would come to search. Believers were not permitted to have professional recording and production equipment.’ The next year the tape Kuldkeeled [Golden Strings], including the music of Kaljo Raid,” was prepared with the help of the ECB recording choir Gloria. In 1984, the Nomme ECB church youth choir and ensemble recorded a tape, Laula réémsalt sa [Sing Joyfully], with classic spirituals and some songs written by young Estonian Christian composer Piret Pormeister. The music in the Estonian ECB churches derived its energy from the grassroots level. It was based on enthusiasm and strengthened by the fact that music helped to combine important aspects of Christian spirituality: it brought together meditat