This was the first time the song festival was held under the song arch: the present Song Festival Ground in Tallinn had been completed. Boys’ choirs participated for the first time. The structure of the song festival was established and it includes performances of all participating choir types, the a cappella performance of the song festival cantata and the gathering of the joint choir for the opening and closing ceremonies. The festival ended on a tense note: at their own initiative, the choirs started singing My County is My Love by G. Ernesaks, which was still in disfavour at the time. From here on, this became the official final song of the song festivals.

CHIEF CONDUCTORS:

Gustav Ernesaks (joint, mixed and male choirs), Jüri Variste (joint and mixed choirs), Tuudur Vettik (mixed choirs), Richard Ritsing (female choirs), Aado Velmet (female choirs), Lembit Verlin (female choirs), Harald Uibo (male choirs), Karl Leinus (Russian choirs, children’s choirs), Heino Kaljuste (children’s choirs), Aksel Pajupuu (boys’ choirs), Jaan Kääramees (brass orchestras), Voldemar Lemmik (brass orchestras), Olev Hõlpus (folk music orchestras).

265 mixed choirs with 10,888, 48 male choirs with 2463, 110 female choirs with 5219, 190 children's choirs with 7563, 97 boys' choirs with 2306 singers and 82 brass orchestras with 1706 musicians took part in the festival. 32 folk music orchestras with 512 and 5 Russian folk music orchestras with 126 musicians and 162 accordionists also participated. A total of 29,273 participants from 875 choirs and orchestras were present.