“Metelys” chapel continues the tradition – it performed for the 30th time on Easter afternoon

On Easter afternoon, Metelys parish folk music band “Metelys” gave a concert for the people of their village – Metelys – for the thirtieth time. Vinculis joked at the event, and the parish hall was full of local residents who love folk music.

The director of the band, Danguolė Alksninienė, welcomes the 30th anniversary of the band, and she has ambiguous thoughts: it is difficult for her to see the aging members of the band, who have a lot of desire and optimism to perform, but their health does not always allow. At the same time, she is happy that the village chapel has been alive and performing for so many years not only in Lithuania, but also abroad. “Even though I’m very tired, when I hear music playing, I recover, bloom, my heart becomes sweet and good. After all, you can’t sit when the music is playing, you have to sing, dance, clap”, – the head of the band is convinced. If nothing changes the plans of the band activist, she promises to solemnly celebrate the band’s 30th anniversary outdoors at the end of the summer. As it was five years ago with the artist Radji.

The first concert is on Easter

During the thirty years of the band’s activity, two members of the band went abroad: Raimundas Radžiukynas and Vytautas Prajara. D. Alksninienė has been leading the Metelys Parish Chapel “Metelys” since its establishment, that is, since 1994. “Pastor Vytautas Prajara, who is now in eternity, encouraged me to assemble a team. He believed in me and saw that I knew how to unite and ignite people, he saw my work with children. We organized hikes with them in the evenings and afternoons. My colleague Asta Ribinskaitė helped me a lot,” the woman recalled. The first tireless members of the band: Aldona Ribinskienė, Albinas Maskeliūnas, Romas Burneika. D. Alksninienė says that it was difficult to persuade musicians to play before. “In the beginning, new members were hesitant to join the collective, maybe there was a pastor in the collective?” But slowly we prepared the first Easter concert, where 9 musicians played. Vocal parts were performed by men, but later women also joined in,” the interviewer continues. According to her, the former pastor A. Prajara played the trumpet and taught the children to play this instrument, who played the trumpet during the Easter Mass during the procession.

There was no big change in the band. Up to 20 people. Now 12 members are performing. Chapels create songs buttercup Asta Ribinskaitė-Karalaitienė, songs by Danguolė’s aunt Genovaitė Švabienė and other composers are also sung.

According to the leader of the band, the music played by the band is sincere, simple, attracting people with its melody and words, born from a wide heart.

The chapel was built in 2005. “Let’s get steam” winner. Danguolė remembers that the selection committee came to Lazdiju with the host of the show, Loreta. “We took part in the selection, we were highly rated, they invited us to film on television,” says the woman. The band led by her appeared on TV shows more than 8 times, and toured the whole of Lithuania with a concert program! Even at the Polish festival, near the German border, she had gone somewhere.

Danguolė is happy with the beautiful tradition of the collective – going to Palanga at the end of the musical season. Not only is time spent interestingly, but at the same time the team is united. In addition, such trips bring good emotions: on the way to the sea and back, the bus is always full of songs and music.