This year marks a special event in the history of choral music and activism – the first LGBT+ choir in Latvia – the Rīga Queer Choir – has started its activities. Just two months after the foundation, the choirs managed to prepare and record a greeting to the community and its supporters, wishing them a beautiful and warm holiday season.
“My joy is indescribable that a choir for LGBT+ community people has finally been established in Latvia,” says Katrīna Jēkabsone, choir conductor. “A place where queers can be together in a safe, non-prejudiced environment and together with others cultivate the traditions of Latvian choral music and make their own unique contribution to the choral industry through their own vision and emotional experience.”
“If we translate the words of the song into Latvian, they say ‘all I want for Christmas is you’. In my opinion, the members of the choir could come up with various other options to complete this phrase,” emphasizes Jurģis Kalniņš, co-founder of the choir. “For example, all I want for Christmas is… greater understanding of diversity, legal protection of all families, respectful statements in the Saeima tribune. Yes, the Riga Queer Choir not only sings, but also wants to promote positive changes in our society.”
“During these two months, I have observed great determination and potential in the choirs, staging both Latvian choral music and popular music. With the Queer Choir, we want to show our society in music how wide a spectrum there is for human identity and spirituality and how important it is to tell and hear the people who exist alongside us stories,” says choir conductor Katrina.
In the new year, the choir will start preparing for their next projects. It will certainly be possible to hear them at live events as well. Interested parties who want to become members of the Riga Queer Choir are invited to write to koris@safespace.lv.
“It’s not for nothing that we chose the Riga Queer Choir as our name. We really hope that we won’t be the only ones in Latvia. But we will go to other cities, villages, and parishes in Latvia to show that queers are truly everywhere! We also plan to sing at the Saeima, In Pride, as well as on the Great Stage of Dziesmusvetki,” the choristers say.
2023-12-25 08:16:00
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