Let‘s not forget to write our name on the first page of the reportoire songbook – it is our creative path to the song festival.
We live in a digital age. Just think of the luxury – information reaches everyone in a split second: those rehearsing in Brussels, or San Francisco, or Papiškės, or Edmonton, or Seattle, or Kaunas, or Cleveland, or Toronto, or anywhere in our wide world. The technological age has surely had a huge impact, but electronic editions notwithstanding, it is still more fun to sing from one‘s own printed songbook, to mark certain details pointed out by the choir director, to annotate particular sections, to highlight dynamic symbols… And so the repertoire book becomes part of our personal journey to the song festival.
Many tasks have already been completed in preparation for the song festival. The latest of these is the production of two books of music: the first contains the repertoire for children‘s choirs (56 pages), the second contains the repertoire for adult and youth choirs (224 pages). The musical notes on each page disclose the composer‘s emotions: sadness or joy, love, pain, beauty, longing – and all the other feelings that moved the author‘s soul. The voices of 65 choirs will ring out in song at the XI North American Lithuanian Song Festival: “One Family – One Nation”.
Publication of the repertoire books required the group efforts of composers, choir directors, choir members, and other specialists. The sheet music was prepared for publication by Algimantas Kriūnas and Kristina Kliorys. Intensive collaboration was required with composers in Lithuania and North America to insure the accuracy of interpretations and arrangements. These included Danguolė Beinarytė, Eugenijus Čiplys, Rita Čyvas-Kliorys, Kęstutis Daugirdas, Rasa Kaunečkas, Gediminas Kalinas, Raimondas Katinas, Raimundas Martinkėnas, Vilija Mažintas, Vytautas Miškinis, Artūras Novikas, Darius Polikaitis, Aleksandras Stankevičius, Laimis Vilkončius.
Proofreading was performed by Rita Čyvas-Kliorys, Dalia Skrinskas-Viskontas, Nijolė Sinkevičius, and Kęstutis Daugirdas, as well as participants at the choir directors seminar. Darius Polikaitis reviewed and made corrections to the children‘s repertoire. Author of the scenario – Aušrinė Širvinskas, chairman of the organizing committee – Rimas Piečaitis, songbook layout and graphics – Kristina Kliorys, liaison with the Lithuanian National Cultural Center – Saulius Liausa, song descriptions and analysis – Nijolė Benotas. A novelty not found in previous songbooks is the English version of song texts – translator Vytas Kliorys.
Choirs now include members of the younger generation who are familiar with the Lithuanian language. However, poetry, particularly containing folk terminology, is more difficult to comprehend. Translations of song poems should be useful to families of mixed heritage, music teachers, and members of youth choirs. The translation and explanation of song texts is a key to understanding our sung folklore, poetry, and symbolism of folk writings. The translations by Vytas Kliorys are meticulously and artistically created. The counterparts of English text enrich the repertoire publication as well as its performers. Should we deplore the fact that knowledge of the Lithuanian language is decreasing in our communities? On the contrary, it seems to me we should rejoice that regardless of language difficulties, our choirs are singing and song festivals are being organized. Language assistance arrives as needed – as in this case with translations of the repertoire text.
The organizers of the XI North American Lithuanian Song Festival are the Lithuanian American and Canadian Communities, and leading the parade of 65 choirs through creative labyrinths, onwards to the song festival, Kristina Kliorys and Aleksandras Stankevičius.
Let‘s all join together in resounding song, because we are one family – one nation.
