When the choirs from all over Latvia arrived, the # dziedundejo2021 concert «Song Child» was immortalized / Article

Nice to meet you; a bit like the Song Festival; to get a sense of community – these are the emotions of choirs and conductors expressed in words, gathering for the 12th Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Events # dziedundejo2021 closing concert “Song Child.” The television recording took place on The authors of the concert idea admit that “Dziesmubērns” has gained a different angle, but it will definitely be a seed for the future.

On the last day of August, eleven choirs from different regions of Latvia gathered on the Grand Stage of Mežaparks to participate in the filming of the concert “Song Child”. The choirs are neatly dressed, gathered in small groups, in a happy mood waiting for the arrival of joint songs.

We are ready!

“We have come to sing at such a stylized Song Festival, to regain the sense of community, the unity that was here before the whole epidemiological situation. [..]. So now we have such a smaller version of all that big, but they are also united and cool, ”says Līva, a member of the Jelgava Spidola State Gymnasium Mixed Choir, in the Latvian Radio program“ Kultūras rondo ”. Her co-partner Viesturs hopes to be able to capture the feeling of the Song Festival together, because this year such emotions have not been experienced yet. As for the concert repertoire, he added: “It seems to me that

Even if not the most complicated songs are taken to the Song Festival, then those that are most important to Latvia, those that are closest to our hearts. ”

On-site rehearsals for the Jelgava Spidola State Gymnasium Mixed Choir take place from time to time, but at the same time work is done at home – learning songs by listening to the sent recordings. I am motivated by a love of music and country. “I like their optimism, their spirit, their joy of life. It also gives me joy in life. They are really cool, and I love them very, very much, ”choir conductor Agija Pizika praises her singers.

The Lielvārde School of Music and Art Children’s Choir “Lielvārde” has also carried out regular individual work in preparation for the festival. “We are ready! And we are glad that there is such an atmosphere – a bit like the Song Festival, that we are not alone, but there are other choirs here. It was already a good feeling to be driving here, ”reveals one of the choir’s conductors, Baiba Klepere. Colleague Evita Konoša notes that for most choirs this is the first holiday experience. This time, the usual and very intense holiday schedule is missed.

Somehow, the members of “Lielvārde” Kristīne and Evelīna do not get tired of singing, because the songs are good.

Among the choirs participating in the closing concert are the Riga Dome Girls’ Choir “Tiara” and the conductor, also the Chief Conductor of the Song Festival Aira Birziņa, who emphasizes that every day is expected with some changes and, if there are none, it is even good. continues:

“The essence of the Song Festival is probably really only in the hearts, and more or less there is a concert, more or less there is a composition, it is a secondary thing.

Everyone is already waiting, singing, dancing, waiting for the moment when the result or some culmination moment will be [..]. This time he will be very different. ”

Remembering the recent experience, Birziņa adds that it was not possible to sing together in “Zoomo”, but another tradition could be maintained on this platform – it was a choir ice cream party for everyone at their screen.

Chief conductor Līga Celma-Kursiete and her Jelgava 4th Secondary School Mixed Choir started the concert recording day first: “We are just happy to be here today, because we do not know what the near future will bring us.

I am happy for every child who came and saw this new, beautiful stage. It is, of course, a great thrill to be here and to stand here. ”

Maintaining the essence of the holiday plan

In the concert “Song Child” each choir sings one song and only the national anthem and Mārtiņš Brauns “Sun, Thunder, Daugava” are played together. It should be noted that the recording of a Brownian song is repeated several times and

the singers are not divided into voice groups as usual, but each choir remains as a whole.

“Saule, Pērkons, Daugava” is a special song of the School Youth Song Festival, because for the first time on the Mežaparks stage it was played at the students’ song festival in 1989. “It seems to me that this is a very emotional song for every Latvian, because it represents the essence of Latvia,” says Viesturs, a member of the Jelgava Spidola State Gymnasium mixed choir.

At the time when the choir is preparing for the recording of the Latvian anthem, which will be conducted by Jānis Erenštreits, the chief conductor of the festival, the closing concert director Inga Cipe has time to talk about the idea of ​​the closing concert: [..]. We didn’t get together, but we still lived with the idea that someday we would have a chance to sing. In previous holidays, Uģis Brikmanis had the idea that there is a boy who is coming and who will be born. I immediately thought of that

these could be the “singing children” who come from parents who sing, who dream, such a child of ideas.

I think that with all the people we meet and talk to, we keep the essence of this “songboy”, no matter what winds blow and pass over [..]. I have found inner peace in myself without rushing, accepting and doing what can be done. There will be a “songboy” who will have survived and who will hopefully be like a seed for future [svētkiem]to keep the movement alive. For many of us in the Song Festival movement, this was a time of trial. ”

When gratitude is expressed to each choir and its conductor, the artistic director of the concert “Song Child”, conductor Edgars Vītols reveals that the road to the festival has not been easy. Initially, the reconstruction of the Mežaparks stage caused difficulties, which almost made us look for another venue for the festival, but in the end everything was resolved. This was followed by the obstacles posed by the pandemic.

“We could not invite everyone [korus], we are not allowed to do that.

For those who were here, I thought it was their real holiday. It is not for nothing that we called on the choirs that have been preparing this program for a long time and conscientiously,

not to say that the others have not done it, of course, only these we saw as more appropriate for this program at the moment, ”says Vītols.

Although the songs of the holiday concert have been recorded, the work on the overall result will continue for some time.

CONTEXT:

Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Festival events # dziedundejo2021 take place from July 12 to the end of October. It is planned that the total program of the festival consists of 15 different events in choir singing, vocal music, instrumental music, dance, visual and visual plastic art, folklore. Events are planned in municipalities, as close as possible to the place of residence, outdoors. The number of participants in any celebration is from 1 to the number allowed in the country at that time, there is no large gathering, no centralized rehearsals and a long rehearsal process is planned. Events will be recorded on video. All videos will be donated to the Museum of Literature and Music for the upcoming Song and Dance Festival exposition as a bright testimony to the 21st century.

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