The choir directors’ seminar to prepare for the 2025 North American Lithuanian Song Festival was held August 15-18 at Camp Dainava. It was attended by nearly 70 song-loving people, who would not stop singing. Songs rang out in the camp beginning with those going out for a swim in Thorn Lake at sunrise and not ending until late at night under the starry Michigan country sky.
The primary objective of the seminar was to sing through the song festival repertoire, paying particular attention to the more complicated songs and skipping over the easier songs. As it turned out, however, every single song was sung, analyzed, and repeated to one’s heart’s content. “Every choir director, choir leader, and choir member in attendance here deeply feels the importance of the upcoming song festival.“ So commented Rita Kliorys (one of the main seminar organizers) and Dalia Viskontas (senior conductor not only in age, but in experience, having participated in repertoire selection since 1983).
The principal festival organizers, Kristina Kliorys and Aleksandras Stankevičius, created a sincere, welcoming atmosphere, empasizing that we are all equally important, we are all of one mind in seeking the same goal. Their example inspired everyone to a marathon of work. After two hours of singing, no one looked for a break. Instead it was, „Let’s continue! Let’s keep going!“ And when the director teaching a song suggested moving on, that there was no time to make it perfect, the response was, „Just one more time. Let’s sing it through from the beginning…“
The rehearsal sessions were led by Aleksandras Stankevičius, Kristina Kliorys, Rita Kliorys, Kęstutis Daugirdas, Dalia Viskontas and Darius Polikaitis.
The seminar was richly sprinkled with a number of lecture sessions. Frank Bianchi shared techniques from his 46 years of choir directing. Nijolė Benotas explained the text and symbolism of each of the songs selected for the festival repertoire. Prof. Indrė Viskontas presented research on the effects of music on various age groups, particularly young people, and at the end of her talk gifted each attendee with a signed copy of her book „How Music Can Make You Better.“ In addition, attendees received an evening session of „joke therapy“ during a musical comedy performance by Vytas Bakšys, whose fingers were so nimble, one would not believe he had accompanied all of the rehearsal sessions throughout the day. He was fabulously assisted by pianist Alena Miškinis and soloist Virginija Muliolis.
The high caliber of repertoire rehearsals and of this exceptional musical performance were made possible by not one, but two pianos that had been tuned for the occassion, caringly arranged by Audrius Rušėnas on behalf of the Camp Dainava Board of Directors. It is also of note that one piano was newly donated to Camp Dainava by Jacqueline Rušėnas just days before the seminar.
Cocktail hour before the evening dinner was hosted by Jonas Muliolis. It was not clear which of his martinis was most popular: the Viskontini, Rairairairita, or Darneviskas. The reader is left to speculate as to what or who inspired these concoctions.
Marija Čyvas organized the evening programs. After her first, creative “ice breaker” session everyone was so well-acquainted and became such fast friends, that conversations continued throughout the seminar, particularly during breakfast, lunch, and dinner – exceptionally prepared by Audra Januškis (Bravo Bites Catering) and her staff (not to mention the hors d’œuvres during cocktail hour). It was as if a big family that had been missing each other’s company finally got to sit around the same table,, all dressed in matching outfits no less. The special embroidered jackets with the festival logo were made by Tadas Gelažis and his workshop „elves“ from Cleveland-based „Design Your Own, Inc.“
The seminar was not only full of interesting content but replete with songs and good spirits. The entire affair was captured by photographer Daina Čyvas and videographer Romas Jelinskas. After a decade of song festival silence, Kristina and Aleksandras reminded us that choral music is the emotional language through which we can reach every heart and soul. They did everything to make us feel each other’s closeness and importance in preparing for the upcoming song festival. Like filling our hands with water from the lake, we filled ourselves with knowledge and motivation – to return to our communities and continue to create the miracle of the 2025 North American Lithuanian Song Festival.
After this successful seminar, with such choir directors and choir leaders, the song festival miracle will surely take place in Cleveland June 27-29, 2025. So register with a choir, or make your travel plans to attend the festival, where we will be “One Family – One Nation” in our hearts, in our songs, at the XI North American Lithuanian Song Festival.
