Mixed choir “Lōja”
Salaspils, Latvia
Ģirts Gailītis - conductor
Anita Irbīte - soprano solo vocal
Gunars Kukojs - tenor solo vocal
Dace Melvere - conductor’s assistant, vocal pedagog
Competition Section
| Title | Composer | Lyrics |
|---|---|---|
| Es gulu, gulu / While I’m asleep | Ārijs Šķepasts (b. 1961) | Latvian traditional |
| Lōliz izā, lōliz pūoga / Sang father, sang son | Juris Vaivods (b. 1966) | Livonian traditional |
| Trgna želka na oranje | Dragan Shuplevsky (1933-2001) | Macedonian traditional |
| Jāņuvakars / Midsummer evening | Emilis Melngailis (1874-1954) | Latvian traditional |
Folk Section
| Title | Composer | Lyrics |
|---|---|---|
| Rīga Dimd / Riga sounds | Jānis Cimze (1814-1881) | Latvian traditional |
| Lōlõd, algid kistõgid! / Songs never disappear | Veljo Tormis (b. 1930) | Livonian traditional |
| Lōla izā, lōla pūoga / Sang father, sang son | Livonian folksong, Lōja arrangement | Livonian traditional |
| Pūgõ, tūļ / Blow wind | Livonian traditional, arr. by Ģirts Gailītis (b. 1972) | Livonian traditional |
The mixed choir Lōja was established in Salaspils in October 2007. Though the Lōja Choir is relatively new, it has established itself as a prominent and significant part of Latvian cultural life. The choir’s mission is to preserve, promote, and explore the Livonian choral music, language and traditions. This mission is an important one, since Livonians (or Livs) is the smallest nation in Europe who nowadays has been almost fully assimilated. The Livonian language is slowly being lost, with only a few people able to speak it. The Lōja Choir is proud to help preserve and share the Livonian music, language, and traditions.
In the spirit of Lōja’s mission, Lōja organized the Livonian Song Festival, made records and published a CD and a book “The Livonian Choral Songs”. The choir also created a website for those interested in Livonian choir music – www.livodkuor.lv. Members of the choir are doing their best to study the ways of the ancient craftsmanship. They are studying how to make ancient Livonian boots, bends, bronze jewelry and headdresses. Today, most of the choir’s garments have been hand-crafted by choristers themselves.
Conductor Ģirts Gailītis, who has Livonian ancestral roots, is a professional conductor and the composer of several choral works. Apart from conducting, he also enjoys singing in Riga Dome Cathedral Boys Choir and jazz band Assembly Singers and is a board member of the Latvian Song Festival Association.
Salaspils is a small satellite town of the capital Riga located on the northern bank of the River Daugava. Inhabited since 9 thousand years BC, Salaspils is one of the oldest settlements in Latvia In Latvian Salaspils means – an island castle and its name originates from the old Livonian castle on the island Mārtiņsala. Unfortunately, most of the historical Salaspils is deep under water, flooded for the needs of Daugava hydroelectric power plant. Today Salaspils is the center of the science, energetics and agriculture featuring a number of scientific institutes and the National Botanic Garden.
JM
