The men’s choir “Cēsis” has a great anniversary – eDruva.lv

The choir “Cēsis” celebrated its 45th anniversary with a concert for him and with its members.
“On Tuesday nights, I go to you with joy, and I like everything that happens with us, meaningful and beautiful,” said director Marika Slotina-Brante to her choirs and emphasized that it is her honor to lead the men’s choir. She has been doing it since 2002.

Anniversaries are times when you go through records, remember the past years and those you were with.

In 1979, the “Cēsis” men’s choir of Cēsi agricultural workers in the Cēsi region was founded. His management was given to the conductor Līga Priedīte, and he was always by his side, as he himself said, – member of the choir, voice teacher, supporter, concert opening speaker, composer Valters Kaminskis. Kārlis Skulte, the head of farming in Raunās, was the first to join the choir. He was the first president of the choir. At the anniversary concert, K. Skulti was honored with a standing ovation.

The memories of the former choirs of the past years are still alive – both musical achievements in exhibitions and competitions, holidays, and concert tours far and wide. During the anniversary, the men thanked their spouses with flowers, who support them, waiting at home after rehearsals and concerts. The choir director also thanked them.

During the changes, the men’s choir was left without a home and a leader. Then the 27th Battalion of the National Guard took Cēsis under its wing, the men’s choir “Cēsis” became a singing group.

Aija Petrovska, then a student at the Music High School, took it upon herself to direct the choir. Then there were changes again, the National Guard had to abandon the assembly, the choir was left homeless, but the director was investigated. The men continued to come together and sing. They found the conductor Marika Slotin, who graduated from the Academy of Music. She has been with “Cēsis” since 2002.

The city of Cēsis refused to fund the choir at that time, because there were already many choirs in the city. In 2009, the men’s choir in the Amata region “Cēsis” started its work. “The choir Jānis Stūris came to me and asked if he could take the choir, because the men wanted to sing. “Cēsis” was sung by several people from the parishes of Amata and Drabešu,” says Elita Eglīte, head of the Amata district at the time, expressing her satisfaction with the collaboration with the team, with its practicality in solving problems. E. Eglīte emphasizes that, out of respect for the founders L. Priedīti and V. Kaminski, they did not even think that the name of the choir could be changed. This is how the men’s choir at the Amata Cultural Center “Cēsis” delights more than one audience at least 20 performances a year.

“The men’s choir concerts are always a small song festival for us, which brings joy to everyone in Amata,” says Taiga Krūmiņa, head of the Amata cultural center, and says: “Friends usually come , and then the choir’s songs will have an irresistible power and energy.”

The male choir of the Riga Latvian Association “Latvis” directed by M.Slotinas-Brantes, the mixed choirs “Wenden” from Cēsi and “Ergļi” from the Eagle Association were present at the concert. There were also guests – Krimulda men’s choir “Vecie draugi”, men’s choir “Gaiziņš” from Madona, Sigulda cultural center women’s choir “Teiksma”. The songs that were sung together filled the cultural center of Amata, which the audience sang together.

Aivars Tomiņš, leader of “Veco raŭu” tells that he sang in “Cēsīs” in the mid-80s. He laughs that it could not be otherwise, because he studied conducting at Cēsu High School of Music under Līga Priedīte. “Then it was as big a choir as a gathering choir is today. I remember when Valters sat down at the piano, he couldn’t help but sing,” recalls A. Tomiņš, former director of the A. Kalniņa Cēsu High School of Music.

Representatives from various professions sing in the choir: a businessman, a car mechanic, an electrician, a topographer, a musician, a service engineer, two builders, three farmers, a timber surveyor, a forest infrastructure engineer, recycling man, gutter work manager, teacher and pastor. The Chairman of Cēsis County Council Jānis Rozenbergs, welcoming the only male choir in the county, confirmed that “Cisis” is a jewel and a diamond, one of 23 male choirs in Latvia. M.Slotina-Brante received the thanks of the Cēsis county council for creativity, unstoppable energy and trust in the “Cēsis” men’s choir, Imants Balodis, choir, for trusting the song and the “Cēsis” men’s choir, and thanks from cultural board of Cēsis county for the love given to the song, Andris Actiņš choir and choir president Jānis Igaunis.

The anniversary concert ended with the audience standing on their feet and singing “Here is Latvia” together.

“I want to be hopeful that something will change in schools and that choir singing will not disappear. Male voices are also missing in mixed choirs. Those who work, who are socially active, do not have time for the choir. There are also more singers in “Old Friends” than when we arrived, but the men can’t come, they have to be at work. It’s the same with rehearsals. There is a general trend in the world that women are more active, they are capable and know how to put everything together, men fail,” A. Tomiņš shares his thoughts with “Druva” and says that there are 78 women’s choirs working in Latvia.

As they said goodbye, the audience and groups of friends emphasized that we will be celebrating, singing and partying together again after five years.