Poetry Concert “Song of Songs”

As part of Poetry Days, in remembrance of the distinguished poet, translator, publicist, literary critic, and freedom fighter Knuts Skujenieks, a poetry concert entitled “Song of Songs” will be held on September 10 at 19:00 at the Rainis and Aspazija House in Riga, Baznīcas Street 30.

The poetry concert will feature a text from the Bible, over 2000 years old, known as the “Song of Songs” or the Song of Solomon, whose ideas remain relevant today. This ancient masterpiece of love lyrics embodies an ideal depiction of human love, a vivid testament to the physical love between two people.

K. Skujenieks translated the “Song of Songs” while in a camp, and it is astonishing how, under such harsh conditions, he managed to perform such a refined and beautiful creative work. The poetry concert invites you to listen to Knuts Skujenieks' translation of the “Song of Songs” and to feel the pure love and cultural strength of this ancient text, which lives beyond time and allows one to rise above negativity. As the poet himself emphasized: “I still live with the spirit that is in this book” and “I have always held my wife above myself.”

The ancient love poetry will intertwine with poetry and songs inspired by the “Song of Songs” performed by the concert participants in Latvian and English, celebrating the passionate love between two people. The poetry of Andris Bulis and the songs of the newly formed group “Kitty machine” will allow everyone to feel this power of love that transcends good and evil, time, and space.

Participants in the poetry concert include: actor and poet Andris Bulis, actress and sculptor Maija Arvena, composer, and singer Lauma Kazaka. The visual design features works by artists Pēteris Jansons and M. Arvena, as well as photographs by Māris Ločmelis.

The number of seats in the museum is limited, so please collect free invitations.

In collaboration with the music publishing house “UPE tuviem un tāliem”, an audiobook “Knuts Skujenieks' ‘Song of Songs’” (2022) has been released, which can be listened to on streaming platforms.

The financial supporter of the project series “Song of Songs” is the Solfeg.io platform for poetry, music, and art, with cooperation partners: Rainis and Aspazija House (Association of Memorial Museums), Latvian Radio 1, and Ilze Rusova (music school “Musical Workshop”).

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Since 2020, when four people came together to create the Solfeg.io platform for poetry, music, and art, various interdisciplinary cultural projects have been realized, such as Pēteris Jansons' art book and exhibition “In the Silence of Light” at the Jūrmala Museum (2024), poetry concerts “Not in Clay, Not in Porcelain… Woman” (2022) and “You Called Me by Name – In the Lines of Rivers” (2021), which have been performed at Mālpils Manor, Mencendorf House, the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, the Rainis and Aspazija House in Riga, the Rainis and Aspazija Summer House in Jūrmala, among others. A poetry and music album “You Called Me by Name – In the Lines of Rivers” (2021) and Nora Grēniņa's poetry book “You Called Me by Name – In the Lines of Rivers” (2021) have been released. The Solfeg.io music education platform has received the prestigious GESAwards 2024 prize as the best educational technology platform in the world.