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Serija: Chorų kelias į dainų šventę

We call ourselves “Milwaukeans” (In Lithuanian “Milvoukiškiai”, which literally translates to “Milwaukee rabbits”).

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Nauja Karta

The new Generation

Choir director:

Fausta Urbonas

Some years ago, we established a Lithuanian school, which unfortunately is no longer operational. Although we didn’t have many students, it warmed our hearts to speak the language and celebrate holidays, filling them with Lithuanian musical harmonies. We made note that the parents and teachers were excellent singers.

When we received the invitation to participate in the previous song festival in Chicago, we had no doubts – we go forward! We have wonderful memories to this day. When we heard about the XI song festival in Cleveland, we did not have the slightest hesitation – once again, we go forward!

I have never participated in a song festival before, and that’s why I am very excited about this first opportunity to connect with my culture, meet many Lithuanians, and make music together.

Toronto, Ontario

Prisikėlimo parapijos vaikų choras

The Resurrection Parish Children's Choir

Choir director:

Daina Babeckas

The choir has been in existence for many years. I have been the director for the past two years. We are a church choir and sing primarily during church services, but also during various Lithuanian community events. The choir has participated in all the latest North American song festivals. Previous longtime directors include Dalia Viskontienė, Danguolė Radkė, Danutė Biskienė, and others.

Our choir is extremely pleased that we will be able to participate in the song festival in June. We rehearse every week and continue to learn new songs in the repertoire. Many of our children have never sung in a choir, but they are all working hard and putting in their best efforts. We can‘t wait for the opportunity to sing together.

For the children, Song and Dance Festivals are unforgettable experiences

Elizabeth, New Jersey

Varpelis

Vincas Kudirka Lithuanian School choir: The Little Bell

Choir director:

Aušra Covalesky

The children‘s choir Varpelis has a long history. It was originally affiliated with the Lithuanian parish in Elizabeth; the founding director in 2002 was Birutė Mockienė. The choir participated in the 2006 (Chicago), 2010 (Toronto), and 2015 (Chicago) song festivals. The children‘s dance group, also named Varpelis, participated in the Boston, Baltimore, and Philadelphia dance festivals.

There were no choir rehearsals the past few years. But this school year, we formed a group of 18 students and began preparations for the Cleveland festival. Rehearsals are in classroom facilities, Sundays after school.

We already know, but are working to improve these songs: The Lightning Bug, Time Passes Swiftly, The Gander, Sparrows, The Sun is Setting, I Didn‘t Sleep Last Night, and A Children‘s Counting Rhyme.

The children like all the songs, but the counting rhyme, is a clear favorite!

That emotional experience will remain with them forever.

Riverside, New York (Long Island)

Alexandra Kazickas Lithuanian School Children‘s Choir

Choir director:

Irma Diržius

The Kazickas school young singers are rehearsing and can‘t wait for the upcoming song festival. Two of our students, Rūta and Gabija, joined with the New York school choir and participated in the centennial song festival in Lithuania this summer.

All of us are in high spirits, singing and preparing for the XI North American Lithuanian Song Festival.

The flame of the Song Festival has been lit, the love for song is alive.

Missisauga, Ontario

Gintarėliai

Little Pieces of Amber Youth Choir

Choir director:

Deimantė Grigutis

The children‘s choir Gintarėliai was formed in 2001. It has grown up, matured, and preserved the flame that was initially lit – our love of Lithuanian song. We are so happy that our youth is showing such interest and eagerness, and gathers so responsibly to every rehearsal.

Since its inception, the choir has participated in all three North American song festivals and all four national festivals in Lithuania. The choir‘s appearances probably number in the hundreds: singing at church services, various concerts and festivals, and local community events.

The song festival tradition is alive in our choir and we impatiently await the upcoming festival.

We began learning the repertoire in September. Currently we have paused our preparations, as we are learning songs for our Christmas concert. After the New Year we will again begin intensive rehearsals.

Chicago, Illinois

Vyturys

The Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis Mission Children‘s Choir: The Lark

Choir director:

Darius Polikaitis

Darius Polikaitis founded the choir in 1995 and remains its faithful director to this day. The choir sings at the Matulaitis Mission children‘s Mass on a monthly basis. It participates in the Mission‘s Christmas concert and organizes its own spring concert, marking the end of the school year. The choir frequently participates in the festivals of the American Federation Pueri Cantores (an organization for church youth choirs). These festivals are held in Chicago‘s Holy Name Cathedral.

The choir currently has approximately 40 members, age 7-13. Vyturys has sung in all the North American song festivals since 2006, and all the song festivals in Lithuania since 2009. Last summer forty-five “little larks” sang in the centennial song festival in Vilnius, Lithuania.

We are so happy to be able to participate in this beautiful tradition one more time. We hope to form new friendships and return home with wonderful memories.

Elizabeth, New Jersey

Vėjas

Youth Choir: The Wind

Choir director:

Birutė Mockus

Vėjas has participated in the last three North American Lithuanian song festivals. We can only thank Birutė Mockienė, because her passion and unwavering commitment to the choir are the reasons for its existence today.

This year previous members of the Varpelis and Vėjas choirs have gathered together to take comfort and pride in our Lithuanian heritage.

– Lina Benetis shares her thoughts about how the choir director has inspired them to love singing.

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The school has responded enthusiastically to the invitation to create bird replicas for the festival. We used them to decorate our Christmas tree. So we have geese, cuckoos, sparrows, falcons, and white songbirds, which can’t wait to fly to the Cleveland song festival.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Krėviukai

Vincas Krevė Lithuanian School Children‘s Choir: Krėviukai (diminutive form of school's name)

Choir director:

Ilona Babinskas

The choir was founded in 1960, utilizing the facilities of St. Andrew‘s Parish. The choir performs a number of times during the year at school and community events.

The choir participated in the 2015 song festival in Chicago. Some of students who graduated since that time have joined the youth choir in a neighboring state. We are so pleased to return to the festival, because we have a splendid group of 8 – 13 year old singers, and we want to give them the opportunity to experience this wonderful event.

Intense rehearsals take place every Sunday after school. They are led by Ilona Babinskienė, who is assisted by Irina Melikova and Audrius Palionis. So far we have learned The Lightning Bug, Time Passes Swiftly, The Place of My Dreams, and The White Songbird. We also learned the “counting rhyme” song in no time at all.

We organized a Christmas concert and the program included all these songs – so we really know them pretty well. Vidas Bareikis, a well-known performer in Lithuania, both accompanied and sang with us!

– Information provided by Irina Melikova.

We wait impatiently for the song festival, because we know what a wonderful feeling it is to join with a thousand other singers and celebrate our common heritage of choral singing. We frequently sing in children’s choirs, and only return to a choir in late adulthood. The mission of our choir is to fill the gap, and provide an opportunity for high school and college students, who have no other place to participate, to experience the wonderful feeling of community singing.

Chicago, Illinois

Polėkis

A Flight of Fancy Youth Choir

Choir director:

Kęstutis & Karolina Daugirdas

The choir was formed in 2009 with the objective of participating in North American Lithuanian song festivals. The choir director for the 2010 and 2015 song festivals was Liudas Landsbergis. The choir directors this year, returning after a number of years abroad, are Kęstutis Daugirdas and his wife Karolina.

We rehearse every week on Thursday at the “Ateitis Center” in Lemont. We started with the youth repertoire and have learned A Fast-talking Tongue Twister, The Place of My Dreams, The Sun is Setting, I Didn’t Sleep Last Night, O Wandering Traveler, and I Sowed Flax.

We always look for the live recordings of all voice parts; they are an indispensable tool for our choir members. We all have long drives to rehearsal – the trip is a great opportunity to listen to the recordings and learn one‘s voice part!

We are a project-oriented collective, typically gathering together for song festivals!

New York, New York

The New York Women‘s Ensemble

Choir director:

Gintarė Bukauskas

The ensemble has its roots in the church choir of the Annunciation Parish in Brooklyn, New York. Church choir membership is typically dominated by women, so we naturally became a women‘s ensemble. We participated in the Chicago and Toronto festivals, as well as the festivals in Lithuania in 2018 and 2024.

Our first rehearsal was in November; more regular rehearsals will begin in January.

The festivals are such meaningful events – where music causes our Lithuanian heritage to blossom, and song unites Lithuanians from all over the world. The emotional feeling of unity is priceless.

Chicago, Illinois

The Lithuanian Opera Company Choir

Choir director:

Nida Grigalavičius

The Lithuanian Opera Company of Chicago was founded in 1956 and remains the only diaspora opera company in existence. It is a unique collective, staging concerts and operas in the Lithuanian language. The artistic directors, soloists, choir members, and opera management donate their time and energy, seeking to preserve and maintain this nearly 70 year old company.

The opera company‘s fundamental mission is to perform and popularize Lithuanian, classical, and contemporary compositions – conveying the value of music in the Lithuanian language. With that end in mind, we stage operas and operettas, consistently organizing concerts of this genre. The choir participated in the 2010 North American Lithuanian song festival.

We are preparing for the 2025 song festival with pleasure. We recently learned The White Songbird (composed by V. Kernagis), and are enthusiastically proceeding with the remaining repertoire.

We have made hotel reservations and rented a bus for the trip to Cleveland. We are also looking for sponsors to help defray travel expenses.

– explains Opera Company Vice President, Diana Soblinskas.

Choir members return to sing for various reasons. The fundamental reason is that these festivals are an inseparable part of Lithuanian culture, continuing our traditions and strengthening the connection to the country of our heritage. This is of importance not only to the current members, but to future generations. The diaspora festivals create a special feeling of unity – singers arrive from all corners of the world, meet each other, and share common life experiences. Finally, song festivals are a profound emotional experience, which takes a memorable place in the lives of the participants.

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles Lithuanian Community Choir

Choir director:

Nicholas Galinaitis

We gathered together just a few months ago, motivated by the idea to participate in the Cleveland song festival. Prior to our departure, we are planning a local concert using the repertoire we are now learning.

Although the choir has not participated in any song festivals, many of our individual members have done so as members of other choirs.

We rehearse every week, changing the day of the week so that everyone would be able to participate. We can‘t boast that we are perfectly proficient, but we are working hard on the first three sections of the repertoire.

Choir members have reserved hotels or found alternative accomodations. Many are making travel plans jointly, although flight arrangements are not as convenient or economical as we might have hoped. There are always challenges when preparing for a massive event, such as the song festival. However, our choir members‘ positive outlook, enthusiasm, and good will serve to overcome all obstacles – with such an attitude, nothing is impossible!

– Information provided by Giedrė Garbisch.

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago Lithuanian School Children‘s Choir

Choir director:

Danguolė Žibkus-Pažemeckas

The school choir has participated in more than one song festival. However, this will be the first time I attend as the choir director. This year the group is completely new, with no concert experience, because the previous choir members have grown up and graduated.

At this time we have 15 members in the school choir. We have learned the repertoire well. Today we can sing 11 of the required 17 songs – the choir director is pleased to announce.

We send you best wishes from Marijampolė!

Marijampolė, Lithuania

Suvalkija

The city of Marijampolė chamber choir

Choir director:

Virginija Junevičius

The choir was founded in 1973. At the present time the singers are of various ages. A voice studio for children and youths operates alongside the choir. The choir has frequent concerts, participates in many festivals, and sings during church services. For more than 25 years the choir has been organizing an international festival of sacred music.

We have never participated in a North American song festival, but we saw the press releases and heard many positive comments about the upcoming festival. That has motivated us to participate in the event.

We are diligently rehearsing the repertoire and also actively looking for sponsors.