Daugavas Balsis 2017
The choristers are up for challenges as well. With such an enterprising conductor they end up performing some curious concerts. This year that included a concert where the choir was scattered around a small lake rather than in a block together, concerts in ruins or singing on the ferry (well, the ferry wasnt that extreme, but how often do you hear a choral concert on a ferry or ship?).
Other challenges included keeping dry (while singing over water is beneficial especially for the listeners, singing drenched to the bone is contra-indicated), the need for acrobatic skills to board the boats or scale the banks, sufficient energy to hike, boat, rehearse, perform three concerts each day and remain cheerful and adjusted. All of this was achieved with aplomb!
Naturally there was some time to rest: by leaping around learning Latvian folk dances, canoeing for three hours just for fun or singing.
Occasionally, theyre joined by other singers. This year they shared a concert with a local folkloric group and choir, offered the opportunity for singers in Riga to join them in one of their concerts focused on Song Celebration 2018 songs and shared the bill in Stockholm with a wonderful student choir from the Stockholm Musikgymnasium and the Stockholm Latvian Choir. Travelling to Stockholm provided another opportunity. The choir introduced Latvias traditions, such as choral singing to the Swedish audience, but also some of its enterprises, such as Brivosta of Riga and Riga Live, and such global networking is important because, yes Latvians love to sing, but they are skilled at other things as well!
Thank you to the young enthusiastic choristers, to Ints Teterovskis, their inspiring conductor, for the opportunity to share some remarkable adventures and astounding concerts and to Tallink for providing the possibility of extending this experience to the Tallink and Stockholm concerts.
