2Song celebration, see Glossary of Terms
3Massed choir, see Glossary of Terms
4Chief conductor, see Glossary of Terms
5Massed choir concert, the closing event, now the Song Celebration, see Glossary of Terms
6Choir competitions, literally choir wars, see Glossary of Terms
The Gallery displays the photographs related to a particular Celebration or festival. Here you will also find photographs of festival souvenirs and items, such as chief conductors’ and chief choreographers’ pins, conductors’ batons, prizes and trophies of choir competition winners, and the commemorative coins, badges, bookmarks, pennants, decorative plates specially produced for each event, as well as entrance tickets, passes and posters.
![Newis slinkojoht un puhstoht / Tautu labbā gohdā celt, / Nē, pee prahta gaismas kļuhstoht / Tauta zeed un tauta zeļļ...Jurris Allunan [attēls]. [Plakāts veltīts pirmajiem Vispārējiem Dziesmu svētkiem]](https://dziesmusvetki.lndb.lv/wp-content/themes/dziesmusvetki/images/loading.gif)
From the very beginning of the Celebration, chief choir conductors have been particularly honoured, and since 1948, when the first grand dance performance was included in the Celebration programme, chief choreographers have been similarly honoured. The Honorary (Goda) title is bestowed on long-standing, highly respected chief conductors and chief choreographers. The Personalities section contains extended biographical profiles, photographs, video interviews and other materials relating to the respective event’s honorary chief conductors and chief choreographers.
Indriķis Zīle
Chief conductor
1841–1919
Conductor, organist, composer, educator
Born on 7 May 1841 at the Vecdreimaņi homestead in Vīķi parish. Attended the Aloja Congregational school (1855-1858), later the Vidzeme Teachers’ Seminary in Valka (1859-1862), where he was recruited as an assistant teacher (1862-1867). Importantly, met Jānis Cimze here, who laid deep ideological foundations for the rest of Zīle’s life.
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Jānis Bētiņš
Chief conductor
The choice of repertoire has always been a particularly important issue at Celebrations – how many much-loved and familiar classics to include in the programme, how many new works to be given the opportunity? Should we perform only our national repertoire, or should we also include foreign repertoire? Programmes ought to consider the wishes and potential of both participants and organisers, but there are also the obligatory duties once demanded by the prevailing regime. In this section you can find digitised Celebration programmes with event and concert repertoires, as well as lists of the repertoire for the massed and combined choirs and grand dance performance repertoires.
|
Song title
|
Composer / Finisher
|
Text
|
|---|---|---|
| Dievs kungs ir mūsu stiprā pils | Mārtiņš Luters | Korālis |
| Celies un top' apgaismota | Kristians Palmers | |
| Dievs kungs, Dievs kungs | Bernhards H. Kleins (1793-1832) | |
| Jūs pasaul's vārti | Kristofs Vilibalds Gluks | Dāvida 24. dziesma |
| Dievs ir tā mīlīb' | O .H. Engels | |
| Mūsu tēvs | Kristians Heinrihs Rinks | Sv.rakstu vārdi |
| Kungs, dod mums sirsnīg' iekārot | F. Dammass | |
| Teic, mana dvēsele to Kungu | Ernsts Frīdrihs Gēblers | |
| Tēvijas dziesma | Baumaņu Kārlis (1835-1905) | Lapas Mārtiņs |
| Saules meita kroņus pina | Jānis Cimze (1814-1881) | Tautasdziesma |
| Es dziedāju, man jādzied | Francis Abts (1819-1885) | |
| Kas tie tādi, kas dziedāja | Dāvids Cimze (1822-1872) | Tautasdziesma |
| Daugavas zvejnieku dziesma | Baumaņu Kārlis (1835-1905) | Fricis Brīvzemnieks |
| Balta puķe | Jānis Neilands (1831-1900) | Tautasdziesma |
| Maza biju, neredzēju | Dāvids Cimze (1822-1872) | Tautasdziesma |
| Zēns un roze | Francis Šūberts (1797-1828) | Johans Volfgangs Gēte |
| Kur mājo mana meitiņa | Dāvids Cimze (1822-1872) | Ziņģe |
| Karavīri bēdājās | Jānis Cimze (1814-1881) | Tautasdziesma |
| Līgo laiva uz ūdeņa | Dāvids Cimze (1822-1872) | Tautasdziesma |
| Rīta svētums | Francis Abts (1819-1885) | |
| Dievs, sargi ķeizaru cariskās Krievijas himna | Aleksandrs Ļvovs (1798-1870) | Vasilijs Žukovskis (atdz. Juris Caunītis) |
| Rīga dimd | Jānis Cimze (1814-1881) | Tautasdziesma |
| Nu ar Dievu, Vidzemīte [Nu ar Dievu, Vid(Kur)zemīte] | Jānis Cimze (1814-1881) | Tautasdziesma |
| Dieva gods/ Tā debess slavē | 1873 | Ludvigs van Bēthovens |
| Jāņa dziesma | Jānis Cimze (1814-1881) | Tautasdziesma |
|
Song title
|
Composer / Finisher
|
Text
|
|---|
Parades have taken place at all Song Celebration and Dance Festivals (except 1926) and form the event’s most colorful presence in the city itself. Parades feature both organizers and participants dressed in folk costumes, with floral bouquets and wreaths. Spectators on overflowing pavements applaud and cheer, expressing their joy and gratitude to the organizers and participants. Parade routes have varied, but one of the most emotional highlights is now at the Freedom Monument. This section includes a description of parade routes, route maps, photographs and quotes from the memories of contemporaries.
“Pēc šīs rindas stājās visi uz iešanu uz Ķeizara dārzu. Katra kora priekšgalā stājās vadonis un karoga nesējs un tad dziedātāji pa četri blakām. Iešana bija nolikta no biedrības nama pa Suvorova ielu, Troņmantnieku un Aleksandra bulvāriem un pa Veišu dambi uz Ķeizara dārzu.
Pašā priekšgalā jāja žandarmi; tad gāja kara mūziķi; tad nesa Latviešu biedrības karogu, tam biedrības priekšnieki, runasvīri un goda vīri līdzi gāja. Tad gāja seši kārtībnieki un tiem pakaļ nesa svētku karogu. Nu nāca svētku komiteja, tad abi svētki diriģenti un tiem pakaļ viss dziedātāju pulks, pēc augšā uzzīmētas rindas. Pašā pēdējā galā gāja atkal kārtībnieki. Pašā vidū šai garā virtenē bija otrs kara mūziķis. Kad svētku karogu iz biedrības nama iznesa, tad sāka mūziķis spēlēt un visi citi karogi vicināt. Tūkstošiem stāvēja ļaudis gar abām ielas pusēm. Tāpat pie Ķeizara dārza tūkstošiem klausītāju dziedātājus jau gaidīja. Dziedātāji, Ķeizara dārzā nonākuši, gāja uz tribīni nolika savus karogus tai ap katru pusi. Pēc maza atpūšanās laika iesākās koncerts.”
(Pirmie vispārīgie Latviešu dziedāšanas svētki Rīgā, no 26ta līdz 29tam jūnijam 1873. 1873. 21.–23. lpp.)
(Pirmie vispārīgie Latviešu dziedāšanas svētki Rīgā, no 26ta līdz 29tam jūnijam 1873. 1873.)
A wide variety of materials have always been printed for Celebrations and festivals – sheet music, books, booklets, programme books, event plans, dance descriptions, periodicals, notices, rules of order, entrance cards, invitations, flyers, thank-you notes. The section includes the above-mentioned material dedicated to each specific Celebration, as well as music history books covering both the specific Celebration and the history of the festivals in general.
Many different documents are produced during the process of organising evens. This section contains documents on developing Celebration concepts, minutes of organising committee meetings, financial documents, individual and inter-institutional correspondence, decisions taken, documentation relating to the construction of festival buildings, regulations and instructions for participation in festivals, documents relating to the running of competitions (lists of participants, repertoire, applications for participation). Documents are in Latvian and Russian.
Here you will find recordings of broadcasts from the Latvijas radio sound library, as well as audio recordings of songs performed at particular Song Celebration concerts.
