From the Land of the Letts

Participants:

A combined choir of 200 singers from Latvia and Lithuania,
the Ventspils Chamber Orchestra,
narrator Zane Jančevska,
conductors Rasa Gelgotiene, Regina Maleckaite, Judita Kiaulakite, Sandra Rimkute-Jankuviene, Ilze Valce, Aigars Meri.

Program:

Jēkabs Jančevskis / oratorio "From the Land of the Letts",
Konstantinas Mikolajus Čiurlionis,
Jozas Gudavičius,
arrangements of Latvian and Lithuanian folk songs.

On September 14 at 1:00 PM, the grand concert "FROM THE LAND OF THE LETTS. Baltic Unity Day" will take place at the "Latvia" concert hall, dedicated to the shared cultural heritage of the Latvian and Lithuanian people and the celebration of Baltic Unity Day.

The grand concert will feature more than 200 singers from Latvia and Lithuania, the Ventspils Chamber Orchestra, narrator Zane Jančevska, conductors Rasa Gelgotiene, Regina Maleckaite, Sandra Rimkute-Jankuviene, Judita Kiaulakite, Ilze Valce, and Aigars Meri.

The central event of the Baltic Unity Day concert will be the performance of the renewed version of composer Jēkabs Jančevskis' oratorio "From the Land of the Letts", honoring historical events that intertwined the destinies of both nations. The concert will also feature a tribute to the notable Lithuanian composer and painter Konstantinas Mikolajus Čiurlionis, marking his 150th anniversary this year, as well as Latvian and Lithuanian folk songs.

Baltic Unity Day is celebrated in honor of the Battle of Saule in 1236 – a significant event in the history of the Baltic peoples, symbolizing the courage and unity of the Latvian and Lithuanian ancestors. Since 2000, Baltic Unity Day has been officially celebrated in both Latvia and Lithuania, reminding us of the common roots of both nations. 

Jēkabs Jančevskis' oratorio "From the Land of the Letts" is a musical monument to the history of the Baltic peoples, told through eight parts about the shared roots of Latvians and Lithuanians. At the heart of the story is the tale of Martha (Morta), the wife of Lithuania's first crowned king Mindaugas, from our land, from Madelāni in Latgale. Martha's life path symbolizes the mutual connection between the two nations. The work's authors are Eva Mārtuža and Zane Jančevska, with poetry by Lelde Stumbre. The oratorio intertwines historically patriotic themes with the contrast between masculine and feminine – men's pursuit of power and women's longing for peace to preserve the family.

Historical documents state that Mindaugas and Martha were crowned on July 6, 1253. This work honors our nations' ancestors and the unity and friendship of the Baltic peoples in the past, present, and future. Mindaugas was a ruler and king of Lithuania, known for uniting Lithuanian lands into one state and fighting against the Livonian Order. It is said that Mindaugas died in Aglona, as on his way to his wife's parents, he and two of his sons were killed by conspirators. Mindaugas' grave is possibly located beneath the Aglona Basilica, where a burial ground existed in the 13th century. In the 17th century, Lutheran pastor Rivius created a chronicle mentioning that in Aglona, upon demolishing an unknown structure resembling a tower, a marble slab with a Latin inscription was found, stating that the ruler of Lithuania, Mindaugas, was buried here. On September 20, 2015, a monument to Mindaugas and Martha was unveiled in Aglona.

The grand concert "FROM THE LAND OF THE LETTS. Baltic Unity Day" features the mixed choir “Medvėgalis” from Šilalė Cultural Center (conductor Sandra Rimkutė-Jankuviene), the youth choir “Cantando” from Šilalė Cultural Center (conductor Sandra Rimkutė-Jankuviene), the LRT Youth Choir from Vilnius Cultural Center (conductor Regina Maleckaite), the academic choir “Gaudeamus” from Vilnius University (conductor Rasa Gelgotiene) and the women's choir “Dangė” from Klaipėda Fishermen's Culture House (conductor Judita Kiaulakytė), the mixed choir "Līvzeme" from Ventspils Cultural Center (conductor Astra Plostniece), the mixed choir "Ventspils" from SIA "Kurzemes filharmonija" (conductor Aigars Meri), the women's choir "Venda" from Ventspils Cultural Center (conductor Rudīte Tālberga), the women's choir “Atbalss” from RTU Liepāja Academy (conductor Ilze Valce), the mixed choir "Kaiva" from Ventspils Cultural Center (conductor Ginta Rūse), and the mixed choir “INTIS” from Liepāja Folk Art and Culture Center (conductor Ilze Valce).

The concert is supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation, the Ventspils City Municipality, Ventspils Cultural Center, Liepāja Folk Art and Culture Center, the Lithuanian Council for Culture, and the Lithuanian Choir Union.