The sixth American and Canadian Lithuanian Song Festival took place on July 3, 1983 in Chicago at the University of Illinois-Chicago pavilion. It was organized under the auspices of the Lithuanian World Community. This Song Festival was only one part of the Second Lithuanian World Days, which included other events, such as athletic games. The chairman of the Second Lithuanian World Days was Dr. Antanas Razma; the chairman of the athletic events was Valdas Adamkus.

The organizing committee members of the sixth Lithuanian Song Festival were: Vaclovas Momkus – chairman, Sofia Džiugienė, Algis Modestas, Jonė Bobinienė, Dalia Dundzilienė, Vaclovas Verikaitis, Faustas Strolia, Emilija Sakadolskienė, Joana Krutulienė, Genė Rimkienė, Nijolė Pupienė, Vladas Vijeikis, Danutė Bindokienė, Kazys Skaisgirys, Vytautas Jasinevičius, and Jonas Žukauskas. The repertoire committee for adult choirs included Vaclovas Verikaitis – chairman, Stasys Gailevičius, Jonas Govėdas, Julius Kazėnas, Alfonsas Mikulskis, and Dalia Viskontienė. The repertoire committee members for the youth choirs were: Faustas Strolia – chairman, Vytautas Gutauskas, Darius Polikaitis, Ona Razutienė, Rasa Šoliūnaitė, and Pranas Zaranka.

The Honorary Conductor for this Song Festival was Alfonsas Mikulskis. Other conductors were: Aloyzas Jurgutis, Emilija Sakadolskienė, Vaclovas Verikaitis, Faustas Strolia, Alfonsas Gečas, Jonas Govėdas, and Algis Modestas. Anita Pakalniškytė, Roma Mastienė, and Algis Grigas were the featured soloists. The editor of the Song Festival’s program publication was Dr. Vitalija Vasaitienė. Nijolė Pupienė organized the Lithuanian folk dance performances included in this Song Festival. Approximately 8,000 audience members watched 33 adult and 12 children’s choirs perform, accompanied by a symphony orchestra and a Lithuanian folk music instrument ensemble.

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the transatlantic flight by Darius and Girėnas, the joint adult choirs performed the song “Lituanica”, composed by Emerikas Gailevičius. Since the Song Festival organizers could only find the orchestration for a few instruments, composer Arūnas Kaminskas competently rewrote the entire orchestration for this piece. This commemorative song was memorable, although soprano domination was very evident, most likely because there were twice as many sopranos as tenors. “Jaunimo Giesmė” (“Song of the Youth”) by Naujalis was also well received by the audience. This song was first performed at the First Song Day in Kaunas, Lithuania, in 1924. The fact that it was again performed, 60 years later, at the sixth Lithuanian Song Festival is a testament to the lasting power of songs with beautiful melodies and simple harmonies.

B. Budriūnas’s composition, “O, Nemune” was orchestrated by the composer himself and aptly performed by the adult choirs. The performance of a rhapsody by Jonas Švedas (1908-1971), played by the Lithuanian Folk Instrument Ensemble, provided a nice variation to the program. This piece was conducted by Emilija Sakadolskienė. The reed instrument soloist was Balys Pakštas; the psaltery (kankles) soloist – Elena Muliolytė. This composition, interwoven with beautiful Lithuanian folk melodies, was performed admirably.

The most memorable performance in the first half of the program was a cantata, “Atsisveikinimas su Tėvyne” (“Farewell to our Homeland”), by Stasys Šimkus. Interestingly, this piece was first performed in Chicago in 1920. It is nine minutes in length and written for three soloists, adult choirs, and an orchestra. Here, the cantata was conducted by Vaclovas Verikaitis, and featured the soloists Anita Pakalniškytė, Romas Mastienė, and Algis Grigas.

The youth choirs performed well, although they were hindered by an imprecise distribution of the microphones. The joint men’s choirs were confidently conducted by Alfonsas Gečas. Their most memorable song was “Oi, kad Išauštų” (“Come, Daylight”), written by J. Žilevičius. The Lithuanian folk dance group, assembled for this Song Festival, danced three dances, and was accompanied by the symphony orchestra, the Lithuanian Folk Instrument Ensemble, and the adult choirs. To conclude the sixth Lithuanian Song Festival, the audience joined the choirs in singing the popular patriotic song “Lietuva Brangi” (“My Beloved Lithuania”), written by Juozas Naujalis, and were accompanied by both the symphony orchestra and the folk instrument ensemble.

During this Song Festival, President Ronald Reagan addressed its participants by telephone. Illinois Senator Charles Percy attended the Festival in person. Journalist Alfonsas Nakas, in a column in the Lithuanian newspaper “Tėviškės Žiburiai” (“Lights of the Homeland”), wrote that there were approximately 8,000 people in the audience. In the daily newspaper “Draugas”, Algirdas Budreckas reminisced about his own participation in the First Song Day in Kaunas in 1924.