Gabija Petrauskas,  ”DYNAMIC”,  September 2010 issue

An 86 year tradition, started in 1924 in Lithuania, was continued once again in Mississauga, Ontario Canada this summer.  It was a celebration of Lithuanian heritage through song.  Here are some interesting statistics:  over 1000 voices (1,111 to be exact) aged from 5 to 95 years sang in the festival chorus.  58 choirs or song groups participated from the UK, USA, Canada, Lithuania and Poland.  ½ of the choir was made up of youths and children. 17 choir directors conducted the choir during the concert.  The Hannaford Street Silver Band’s 40 person wind and percussion orchestra accompanied the massive chorus. The audience of over 4,000 came from across Canada and the US.  37 songs were performed in all.  6 songs were new creations written specifically for this Song Festival. 7 songs involved audience participation.  Over 300 volunteers (young and old) from the Toronto/Mississauga Lithuanian Canadian Community contributed their time and their talents over the past 4 years of preparation to ensure the success of the Lithuanian Festival of Song 2010.

And a resounding success it was indeed!  From the opening ceremonies on Friday evening, to the closing banquet on Sunday night, it was truly a festival of joy. Friday evening featured Lithuanian Rock Star – Marijonas Mikutavicius with his 4 person group from Vilnius, Lithuania.  The Toronto International Centre’s ballroom rocked throughout the evening in time to the latest most popular rock songs from Lithuania.  This launched the weekend’s activities on a note of high energy and enthusiasm that permeated all of the subsequent events of the Song Festival.

Saturday was devoted to the full day dress rehearsal.  After studying the concert repertoire with the help of learning tapes individually, in small groups of 4 or 10 or in fulsome choirs, this was the first time the choir members came to work together.   The challenge of adjusting to the individual styles of 17 conductors was overcome by the amateur choir members and the sounds produced by the end of the day were certainly professional.  The morning’s cacophony turned into a truly impressive sound when the Hannaford Street Silver Band joined the massive choir for the afternoon’s rehearsal.  By early evening everyone left the dress rehearsal exhausted, but confident that they’ll do a great job during the Festival Concert next day.

Sunday was D-day! The audience of over 4,000 and the 1,000 voice choir began assembling at the Hershey Centre an hour before the 2PM start of the festival concert.  Old acquaintances re-united, young children ran around the hallways playing, elders were brought in with their wheelchairs and walkers, the band was testing out their instruments, general chatter was loud and the anticipation was palpable.  Just before 2PM the conductors and choir directors from the participating choirs marched into the arena and took their places.  The lights dimmed and a hush descended across the entire arena.  All of a sudden the play of bright clouds on the overhead projection screens darkened and began tumbling in disarray.  Thunder boomed shaking the entire arena.  Lightning struck from above and ignited the sacred fire in the ancient Lithuanian stone hearth in the centre of the arena.  The sacred flame burned throughout the entire 3.5 hour long concert signifying our cultural roots and our unity.  It was tended by the High Priest and Vestal Virgins as leaves of the ancient sacred oak tree danced around it throughout the concert. Visuals played a prominent part in this concert with butterflies dancing on daisies, seagulls flying overhead, owls laying eggs and Canada geese flying in formation towards the west. 

The entire concert was performed in parts signifying themes of the cycle of life: the energy of early morning, repast at mid-day, joy of afternoon harvests, peace and rest at end of day upon reviewing accomplishments; and then again – rebirth of a new day.  Slides on overhead screens complemented the words of the songs being performed by bringing visual reminders of Lithuania into the arena.  This allowed everyone to experience a virtual closeness to the land of our roots.  It is significant to note that the two choir directors from Lithuania, in interviews following this concert, are quoted as saying:  “We experienced more true feeling and patriotism for Lithuania here than we have experienced in Lithuania itself!”  This is a tribute to the hard work and idealism of the Song Festival’s Principal Director – Ms. Dalia Viskontas from Toronto, Ontario.  She tirelessly ensured that all details of the program and the performance were “in tune” and focused on achieving a true celebration of our Lithuanian cultural heritage.  Her success in achieving this during this Festival of Song as well as during 40+ years of cultural contribution to the Lithuanian community across Canada was recognized by the President of Lithuania, Ms. Dalia Grybauskaite.  Through Lithuania’s Ambassador to Canada, Ms. Ginte Damusis, she presented Dalia Viskontas with the Presidential Medal for lifetime achievement.
Something special happened in Mississauga that long weekend in July!  We lived together in another world created through song and for those few hours shared a common experience that will last a lifetime.  As Dalia Viskontas wrote in the Festival’s commemorative publication:  “This festival gives witness to our unity in our common cultural heritage which has been passed on to us through generations and generations with the intent that through this heritage we will find ourselves….I trust that, wherever we may be, we will be inspired to pass the richest part of our cultural heritage – our tradition of song, to generations to come.”

Reprinted courtesy of Choirs Ontario – Your ultimate choral resource!
www.choirsontario.org

Rasa Brittain, “BRIDGES”, 2010 July/August issue
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In any Lithuanian festival, the primary objective is to be festive, and how we do it – by celebrating song, dance, art, mushroom-picking, or any other unique aspect of our culture – is just the excuse for a serious tribal throwdown. In the case of this Dainų Švente, the music-making managed to hold its own against the merry-making.

But make no mistake, the party is a magnet. Lithuanian choirs across the continent swelled last fall, or were created outright, by folks who decided to legitimize their trek to Toronto by learning the repertoire and actually participating in the concert. And the event may be billed as a North American song festival, but welcomed all comers in the final roster of over 1,100 singers and 50 choirs from the United States and Canada, the British Isles, Poland, and of course, Lithuania.

Everyone spent at least a year learning the repertoire of newly arranged “standards” and new compositions, scattered among choirs of children, students, and adults. Many Lithuanian or blended families participated together – I’ll admit it gave me warm fuzzies to wail in the soprano section next to my teenaged daughter – but most had friends and family who came along as part of the entourage.

Our Lithuanian-Canadian hosts hit the ground running the day after the 8th song festival in Chicago four years ago, clearly using every available minute of that time to meticulously plan 3+ days of entertainment and the Big Show itself for the hordes of Lithuanians that descended on the airport hotel area for the weekend. The White House Situation Room has nothing on the team assembled by co-chairs Paulius and Rasa Kuras and Artistic Director Dalia Viskontienė˙.

The boots on the ground and behind the scenes in Toronto have raised the bar very high for the next big fly-in of Lithuanians on the continent. (Sorry, Boston, the heat is on now for that dance festival in two years!)

Photos and even videos from the weekend were available online mere days after the last chords echoed through the Hershey Centre, and a DVD is on the way, so allow me to share some thoughts from inside the soprano section instead of a detailed timeline. As for the Friday night concert and cocktails, the Saturday “street party” at the Marriott (more cocktails) and the final banquet and dance (hic!): It was all a hearty and heartfelt blur of Lithuanians playing catchup over loud music and conversation and admiring how well our kids are growing and the rest of us are aging, and joining in impromptu song and dance wherever and whenever possible.

On to the IX Dainų˛ Švente˙ performance itself. As many highlights as my editor here will allow, not play-by-play! My thoughts only; your mileage may vary.

The visual centerpiece of the concert was a giant sacred fire pit (”aukuras”) that blew smoke and flickered evocatively  to heighten the drama of various musical pieces. The special effects – lighting, fog, choreography and costumes – went off seamlessly to take the audience back through the mists of time to Lithuania’s nature-worshipping roots. A pagan priest surrounded by vestal virgins and boys dressed as oak leaves (yes, you read that right) intoned ancient incantations at times throughout the program to introduce different sections that organized the songs into day parts: Morning, day, evening and night.

The slogan of the festival was “Daina Aš Gyvenu,” loosely translated as “I Am The Song.” Which is, coincidentally, the title of a rare English-language piece composed by the late Jonas Govėdas and performed by the children’s choirs. The rousing title anthem in Lithuanian (composed by Rita Kliorienė of Cleveland to lyrics by Nijolė˙ Benotienė˙ of Toronto) was lustily sung by all the singers.

The adult choirs’ menfolk took full advantage of their isolated lines to belt out stirring stuff in Jurgis Juozapavičus’ arrangement of “Linai,” Nijolė˙Sinkevičiūtė’s folkloric “Ei, Jovar Jovar!” and the jazzedup “Š ių Naktely” medley by Giedrius Svilainis. (The sentimental “O Atsimenu Namelį” featured a very fine boy soprano, Aras Puodžiūnas, who is Canada’s heir apparent to Justin Bieber.) We women had ample opportunity to match the guys in those songs and more and for the sopranos, there was even an optional high “c” in Rita K.’s arrangement of “Palankėj, Palankėj!” Personally, my work is not done unless a glass has cracked.

The setting by Chicago’s Darius Polikaitis of the Bernardas Brazdžionis poem “Esi Dangau” had a gospel choir moment that captured the cultural influences of our new country so naturally and effortlessly I can only shake my head in admiration. Say Hallelujah!

The student choirs had a few designated songs and alternately joined in on others with the adults and kids, so were seated in the center of the group, which also maximized them as eye candy for the videographers. Fresh-faced and attractive and with so much stamina they’re obviously mainlining Red Bull. How else to explain how they nailed Faustas Strolia’s frenetically arranged folk song “Mylėjau Mergelę?” But they dialed down the energy with a restrained and wistful delivery of “Pajūrio Vaikai,” a lovely piece composed by Loreta Sungailienė to lyrics by Vytautas Mačernis. It was conducted by its arranger, Saulius Kliorys of Cleveland to old photos from the albums of these kids’ grandparents blown up on the big arena screens.

There were lots of sweet confections for the littlest singers to warble, and as much as older folks love to hear young voices raised in song, I just don’t think kids are as enthused about the pretty pieces as we are. They really perked up for “Drum Drum,” a folkloric counting rhyme arranged and directed with brio by Rita Kliorienė, and choreographed with clapping, stomping and all kinds of energetic gestures. The kids totally raised the roof with that one.

The exuberant Alexandre Stankevičius of Montreal conducted his composition “Pavasaris ir Vaikai” (lyrics by Henrikas Nagys) as behind him boys dressed as giant daisies swayed in an imaginary breeze and a giant butterfly floated around them. In my group we referred to that one as Butterfly Boy, and if Lady Gaga gets a gander at him, she’ll hire him on the spot. Movable wings, light-up antennae! He was a sensation.

Truly, is there a people on this planet that loves owls as much as Lithuanians do? Another Dainų˛ Šventė, another owl song. And the effects to the adult choirs’ rendition of “Didel Galva Pelieda” were freakishly inspired. Three young’uns covered in feathers ROLLED in, in giant hamster balls, no lie! And then HATCHED from them! Can you imagine the late-night planning committee meeting where that idea was suggested?! But they made it happen and my spy in the audience reports the littlest culture vultures were particularly thrilled by the spectacle.

Another dazzling idea was the controlled distribution of chemical “glow-sticks” to all the singers. On cue near the end of the program, we snapped them, the lights went down, and the audience was treated to a shimmering Lithuanian flag as we waved our lights in descending rows of neon yellow, green and red. (Of course, some of the less-evolved felt the need to hurl their glow-sticks onto the arena floor during the closing ceremonies as parents in the audience bewilderingly allowed their pre-schoolers to run down to get them. Honestly, mūsų˛ žmonės!)

Lithuania has always been known as a land of singers, so it’s natural that our community outside our homeland’s borders also benefits from a brain trust of Lithuanian choral leadership that would impress in any symphony hall in any major city. It’s all the more remarkable because for most it’s not a full-time job – these people all excel in their outside (and often unrelated) careers.

Artistic Director Dalia Viskontienė consulted with American-, Canadian-born and native Lithuanian choral musicians to select the repertoire, prepare the choirs and conduct at the concert. Some also composed, arranged or even wrote lyrics for new works that made up a third ofthe concert program. It was varied, inclusive and accessible (OK, perhaps the modern, edgy “Nebuvo Tai Žemė,” created specially for this concert by Nijolė Benotienė˙ and Rimas Biliūnas, went over a few heads.)

Lithuanian singer-songwriter Marijonas Mikutavičius performed in concert Friday night at the International Center, and joined in at the concert for his boisterous “Pasveikinkit Vieni Kitus.” Think Neil Diamond wannabe. People kept referring to him as a rock star. Um, sorry, but no. Saulius Kliorys and Kęstutis Daugirdas are rock stars. Young, energetic, inspired conductor-composer-singer (and in the soprano section at least, sigh-evoking) triple threats that will be running the top Lithuanian choirs on the continent not very far down the road. Each contributed works and owned the podium at the festival concert with authority and style!

It’s too bad that so many able directors weren’t able to attend or to conduct – as a singer, I like working under different batons and as a singing community we’re blessed to have so many talented people prepping us. I wish more of them were in Toronto this time. (You know who you are! And Philly’s indomitable leader Ilona Babinskienė˙ gets her own shout-out – mes taves pasiilgom Kanadoje!!!)

How about that official garb. On the record, all participants say the oatmeal-colored shawls and shirts were comfortable and becoming. Off the record, meet us at the bar and we’ll talk.

But otherwise… as Dalia Viskontienė˙ predicted at the beginning of the rehearsal, we rocked it. And IX Dainų˛ Šventė˙ rocked us. We’re Lithuanian – we sing! We do it on a small scale – a small gathering of a few families, a campfire, a bus trip. And we do it BIG – filling a third of the seats in a major arena with singers with a top-notch wind orchestra and human hamster balls. Song connects us, it joins us, it bonds us.

No matter what stands out among our memories of this weekend in Toronto, it all started, and continues… with song.

See y’all at the next one.

Rasa Brittain wears her Philadelphia Laisve Chorus T-shirt even when she’s not singing. Listeners to Philly and New York City CBS Radio news stations know her as Rasa Kaye, but her daughter’s friends have been known to call her “Awesome Mommy” while her husband’s cronies like to call her The Warden. Because they are
SO-O-O amusing.

View the cover of this issue.
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Rock and Roll. The Lithuanian Song Festival will cover many styles and venues this weekend, but last night, it was all rock and roll, Lithuanian style featuring Marijonas Mikutavicius in concert. Staff photo by Rob Beintema.

They may be few in number, but Lithuanians sure know how to party. More than 1,000 people from Lithuanian communities in North America and Europe filled Malton’s International Centre last night to kick off the IX Festival of Song with a concert by legendary Lithuanian musician Marijonas Mikutavicius.

Festival of Song, a weekend gathering of the worldwide Lithuanian community, rotates every four years between cities with large Lithuanian populations. Back in the Greater Toronto Area after more than three decades, the much-anticipated festival is a chance for this close-knit yet far-flung community to renew past connections while welcoming new members.

“Everyone’s sort of dispersed all over the place, so this weekend is a nice way to get together and keep in touch with people from all over the world,” said Vilija Peciulis, 25, as excitedly greeted old friends from Chicago and Cleveland who she only sees at events like these.

The festival is the undisputed highlight of the year, said Ramune Jonusonis.

“I was laughing earlier that I bet every single person that I know in the Lithuanian community is going to be here tonight. It’s all-encompassing,” said Jonusonis, 24.

The centerpiece of the festival is “I Am The Song,” a massed choir concert that will see some 1,200 singers from across Canada, the US, England, Poland and Lithuania — including Mississauga’s Vaiku chorus Gintareliai — take the stage Sunday to perform traditional folk songs.

“We’re a very strong community even though our numbers are less (than in Chicago, the previous host), so to have so many choirs come to Toronto is a huge achievement for a small community such as ours. We’re very proud,” said Dalia Peddle, a festival organizer.

Seeing Lithuanians of all ages singing together will be a moving experience, agreed Peciulis.

“My dad’s singing in it, so I’m definitely going. He’s been very passionate about singing all his life, and as soon as he heard there was a joint choir, he said, send me!” she said with a laugh.

But Mikutavicius was the draw last night, as throngs of excited young people — and some adventurous elders — planted themselves at the foot of the stage and stayed there, belting out rock songs and folk melodies with Lithuania’s biggest star.

The loudest applause was saved for Trys Milijonai (Three Million, roughly the global Lithuanian population), the empowering chart-topping song by Mikutavicius that has become the Baltic state’s unofficial anthem.

“(The festival) is just a good way to have a great time, keep the tradition alive, and keep the community together,” said Julia Simonelis, 25, who along with Jonusonis arranged Saturday night’s street party at the Marriot Airport Hotel, after which scores of young people plan to keep dancing right into Mississauga’s Lithuanian Martyrs’ Church for 10 a.m. Sunday mass.

“That’s what makes this weekend so great,” said Lukas Turczyz, 24, sipping a Svyturys, Lithuania’s signature beer. “There’s something for all ages. We sing, dance, drink, listen, and of course, socialize.”

The choir concert takes place Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Hershey Centre, and the festival concludes back at the International Centre that night with a gala dinner dance.

Check out the amazing photos by the Festival`s official photographer!  New photos are added daily, and they’re now available for purchase.

Choose your images and email the file numbers to photovisionsdigital@rogers.com

You will receive an electronic invoice ($5 per image) through Paypal.  When payment is made, your high resolution images will be sent to your email.

CD’s and prints are available as well. Please inquire about cost and shipping charges.

Please share your Festival photos with us by sending them to info@dainusvente.org. 

We also invite you to join the Facebook group Memories of the IX išeivijos Dainų šventė.

Free parking is available during the events at the International and Hershey Centres.

Street party food tickets will be available in advance at the Marriott Hotel on Friday. Buy them in advance to avoid line-ups on Saturday.

Paulius and Rasa, in the Parish of the Resurrection board room where the organizing committee has been meeting over the last four years.

A festival celebrating Lithuanian music and culture is staging several of its events in Mississauga this weekend (July 2-4).

The IX Lithuanian Song Festival will host a pair of concerts in Mississauga — Friday at the International Centre in Malton and Sunday at the Hershey Centre. Also, Mississauga’s Lithuanian Martyrs’ Church will host a mass on Sunday at 10 a.m. The festival concludes with a Sunday gala and dance at the International Centre. On Friday, Marijonas Mikutavicius performs. He’s a well-known Lithuanian singer, musician and songwriter responsible for the hit song Trys Milijonai (Three Million).

Mikutavicius started his career with the group, Bovy, and has been named best vocalist at the Latvian music festival, Liepajas Dzintars. Tickets cost $45. Show time is 8:30 p.m.

On Sunday, the I Am the Song concert takes place at the Hershey Centre. It features choral and vocal performances of traditional Lithuanian music, which were brought from Lithuania to Canada by immigrants and passed down from generation to generation.

Dozens of choirs will take part, including Mississauga’s Vaiku choras Gintareliai. Other choirs are from places including Chicago, Florida, Cleveland, Boston and across Canada and Europe. Show time is 2 p.m. Tickets cost $40 to $45.

The gala starts at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $35 to $100.

For more information, or tickets, visit www.lithuaniansongfest.org.

Tickets for the Song Festival Concert are available up to and including Sunday, July 4 at www.ticketmaster.ca, by calling
1-416-870-8000 and at the Hershey Centre box office.

Tickets to all other events may be purchased beginning July 2 at the Airport Marriott Information Centre and at the events.