On October 6, in Liepaja’s concert hall “Lielais dzintars” the concert program “The Return of Light” by composer Uldas Marhilevičas will be performed for the first time this fall. It will be sung and played by the composer himself, singers Ance Krauze (Light) and Andris Ērglis (Darkness), actor Gundars Grasbergs (Storyteller), as well as the accompanying group and the Jāzeps Mediņas Riga 1st Music School boys choir under the leadership of conductor Roman Vanags. The program “The Coming of Light” can be heard in the Culture Center “Pearl of Ulbroka”, Slampe Palace of Culture, VEF Palace of Culture, Latgale Embassy GORS and other places in Latvia.
Composer Uldis Marhilevičs says about this program:
“It happened in 2001, when the conductor Roman Vanags asked me to write a song for the boys’ choir he led. We got together with the author of the lyrics, Guntars Rača, and he found a very good theme that is eternal – light against darkness, the struggle of light with darkness. Twenty-one years have passed since the creation of the cycle, today we are singing this cycle again, and it is again so relevant in the context of all the world events and cruel wars… We wrote some songs then, and I realized that we need to write something more to make a full-fledged cycle. In 2003, the premiere of this cycle was played, in which Zigfrīds Muktupāvels (Narrator), Ance Krauze (Light) and Mārtiņš Freimanis (Darkness) took part, who cut his blond hair right before this event and with his external appearance was a real Bucephalus and a real Badass!
Two years later – in 2005 – the cycle was performed in its entirety in Mežapark, at the Students’ Song and Dance Festival, where Ance Krauze and Mārtiņš Freimanis also sang solo. Over the years, from time to time someone has called me and told me that this performance has been performed again in this or that city. Now, when more than twenty years have passed since the creation of the cycle, the time of the anniversary has come. So the idea came up that maybe it should be celebrated even more and that we could play the cycle in several Latvian cities – of course, including even more songs. The boys’ choir led by Roman Vanag also celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. I hope that we will manage to make this concert performance magnificent and theatrical, supplementing it with light games and choral songs. I also hope that a local boys’ choir will join us in each city.”
The author of the cycle’s texts, poet Guntars Rachs, says:
“Marhil and I have many collaborations, including choirs and soloists, but the series “The Return of Light” is a special work. Both because the first line-up of performers was excellent, and because this is our most musically and textually rich joint work, from which each song has also proven to be viable individually. I am very proud that the song cycle has stood the test of time and will see new performances. The very topic of the return of the light is especially relevant in the context of the war between Russia and Ukraine. The light always returns, no matter how dark everyday life seems.»
On the other hand, conductor Roman Vanags adds:
“Our choir’s cooperation with the composer Uldi Marhilevičs is long, deep and extensive, so I am very happy that this autumn and also at the beginning of December – when it gets dark outside – his concert program “The Return of Light” will be played in Latvia. So in a way we will be the light bearers. It is interesting that this program was first played in the performance of our boys’ choir twenty years ago, and even now, when several generations of boys have grown up and replaced the choir, “The Return of the Light” is still relevant. And the second interesting fact is that the singer Ance Krauze, who was the first soloist of this program twenty years ago, will join us at the concert. In addition, Marhils is currently writing new compositions for this program, which will also be played at these concerts.»
“These are really unforgettable memories, how together with Siegfrieds Muktupävela and Mārtiņas Freimani we sang this cycle at the Pupils’ Song and Dance Festival. Therefore, this program is undeniably associated with Mārtiņas Freimani, and every time one of the songs of the cycle is played, especially the last one – “We can be together”, where Mārtiņas’ songs were sung, I immediately remember it, and it seems that it was very recently … That’s why it will be interesting to return to this program after twenty years, and even during these years I have occasionally had to sing one of the songs of the cycle together with Uldi in the concerts organized by him in the Sakasleja church, and I have also sung these songs in the anniversary concerts of the boys’ choir. Now, when there has been a longer break, we will see what the feelings will be, but I think they are completely positive. And there will definitely be memories of that time,” emphasizes singer Ance Krauze.
The “Return of Light” concerts will be played:
On October 6 at 7 p.m. in the Liepaja concert hall “Lielais dzintars”
October 7 at 6 p.m. in the Culture Center “Pearl of Ulbrok”
October 8 at 4 p.m. in the Slampes Palace of Culture
October 11 at 7 p.m. in Ventspils concert hall “Latvija”
On October 17 at 7 p.m. in Jelgava Culture House
On October 18 at 190 VEF in the Palace of Culture
On November 25 at 6 p.m. at the Embassy of Latgale, GORS
on December 2 at 18 in the Valmiera Culture Center
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2023-08-10 07:07:02
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