February 20, 2009
A DVD has been released of the highlights of last summer’s XXIV All Latvian Song and XIV Dance Festival. The DVD, entitled Dziesma ir spēks (The Song is Power), includes highlights of 34 performances from the festival, including selections from the opening concert, the dance performance, the wind orchestra concert and the closing concert.
The festival, which took place in Rīga from July 5-12, saw 39 concerts and events. A total of 38,601 performers participated, including 394 choirs, 54 vocal ensembles, 18,464 singers, 544 dance collectives, 13,700 dancers, 55 wind orchestra and five professional orchestras.
The DVD, which is packaged with a booklet in both Latvian and English, was released Feb. 16 by Rīga-based Brainstorm Records Co.
The track listing includes:
- “Fanfaras, dziesmai šodien liela diena,“lead conductor Edgars Račevskis
- ”Četras stihijas,” choreography by Jānis Purviņš, Gunta Skuja, Taiga Ludborža and Arta Melnalksne, lead director Taiga Ludborža
- “Lauztās priedes,” lead conductor Māris Sirmais
- “Aeternus,” conductor Haralds Bārzdiņš
- “Podnieka sapnis,” choreographer Ilmārs Dreļs, lead director Jānis Marcinkevičs
- “Rīga dimd,” lead conductor Imants Kokars
- “Rīgas torņa gala zīle,” lead conductor Jānis Dūmiņš
- “Aiz azara augsti kolni,” lead conductor Terēzija Broka
- “Kur tu skriesi vanadziņi,” lead conductor Roberts Zuika
- “Lokatiesi, mežu gali,” lead conductor Ausma Derkēvica
- “Mazs bij’ tēva novadiņis,” conductor Pauls Kveide
- “Bēdu manu, lielu bēdu,” lead conductor Gido Kokars
- “Adulienas bitenieki,” choreographer Jānis Purviņš, lead director Ilze Mažāne
- “Man izauga divas vārpas,” choreographer and lead director Gunta Skuja
- “Jūra krāca, jūra šņāca,” conductor Laimonis Paukšte
- “Pie jūriņas maliņā,” choreographer and lead director Zanda Mūrniece
- “Par mezgliem” and “Mana dziesma,” lead conductor Romāns Vanags, soloists Renārs Kaupers and Mārtiņš Zanders
- “Es redzēju Rīgas pili,” choreographer un virsvadītājs Jānis Purviņš
- “Novelette,” conductor Lelde Bitīte
- “Minam, minam, minamo,” choreographers and lead directors Ilze Mažāne un Iluta Mistre
- “Lepna, lepna tā meitiņa,” choreographer and lead director Jānis Ērglis
- “Neba maize pate nāca,” choreographer and lead director Jānis Purviņš, lead conductor Arvīds Platpers
- “Svīta pūtēju orķestrim,” conductor Egons Salmanis
- “Rozēm kaisu istabiņu,” lead conductor Jānis Zirnis
- “Septiņas latviešu tautas dziesmas,” conductor Haralds Bārzdiņš
- “Aizej, lietiņ,” lead conductor Māris Sirmais, soloists Dārta Treija and Zane Pērkone
- “Mūžu mūžos būs dziesma,” lead conductor Edgars Račevskis
- “Pateicības korālis Latvijai,” conductor Jānis Puriņš
- “Trīs zvaigznes,” lead conductor Aira Birziņa
- “Es atnācu uguntiņu,” choreographer un virsvadītājs Jānis Purviņš
- “Kas manim tumsa,” lead conductor Romāns Vanags
- “Saule, pērkons, Daugava,” lead conductor Sigvards Kļava
- “Manai dzimtenei,” lead conductor Romāns Vanags
- “Gaismas pils,” lead conductor Imants Kokars
More information about the song festival is available on the official Web site, www.dziesmusvetki2008.lv.
Egils Kaljo is an American-born Latvian from the New York area who lives in Rīga, Latvia. When not working in the information technology field, he sings in the Latvian Academy of Culture mixed choir Sõla, does occasional translation work, and has been known to sing and play guitar at the Folkklubs Ala Pagrabs in Old Rīga. Kaljo began listening to Latvian music as soon as he was able to put a record on a record player, and still has old Bellacord 78 rpm records lying around somewhere.
