Comments on: 20,000 voices, singing as one

20,000 voices, singing as one

ocherdraco — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 13:33:37 -0800

The Latvian Song and Dance Festival has existed in some form or another since 1873, held roughly every five years. Along with similar festivals in Estonia and Lithuania, it has been recognized by UNESCO as one of the world's Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The approximately 35,000 amateur singers and dancers who travel from all around Latvia to perform the weeklong festival comprise 1.5% of the country's entire population. The centerpiece of the festival is always the final night, when the full complement of roughly 20,000 singers perform the most iconic Latvian folk songs a cappella. In 2013, a song performed on the final night was "Līgo" (a word meaning both "sway" and "summer solstice festival"). But for sheer spine-tingling pleasure, 2008's "Gaismas pils" ("Castle of Light") can't be beat.

By: ocherdraco

ocherdraco — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 13:41:24 -0800

Here's a schedule (pdf) of some of the events of the 2013 festival, to give you more of an idea of what the whole thing is like.

By: mykescipark

mykescipark — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 14:01:28 -0800

Very much like going to Koprivshtitsa in Bulgaria, which is coming up next year if anyone wants to meet me there ;-)

By: gilrain

gilrain — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 14:01:58 -0800

What a beautiful event and sound! I'm in slightly-jealous, bittersweet awe at the broad unity on display here.

By: hat_eater

hat_eater — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 14:14:46 -0800

I thought there was a post about it here on MetaFilter, but I can't find it. I see you've found it at last. Great post, by the way!

By: halfbuckaroo

halfbuckaroo — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 15:01:28 -0800

Castle of light indeed. My goosebumps still have goosebumps.

By: thylacinthine

thylacinthine — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 15:23:18 -0800

I was at the 2013 festival, and it really is a most amazing event. Thanks for posting about it!

By: ob1quixote

ob1quixote — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 17:21:21 -0800

I really wasn't expected the hair on the back of my neck to stand up. Dad was sitting right here, asked what it was, and when I read him your description, ocherdraco, he said, "Jesus! That's 20,000 voices?" Thank you very much for posting it.

By: cleroy

cleroy — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 18:20:52 -0800

I don't mean to swear, but: Holy Mackerel! I'm so happy to know this exists.

By: Harald74

Harald74 — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 06:55:11 -0800

I'm rather partial to Saule, Perkons, Daugava myself.

By: Harald74

Harald74 — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 07:06:07 -0800

And this short ad, which I just spent an inordinate amount of time searching for, actually brings a tear to my eye, and I'm just married to a Latvian...

By: Harald74

Harald74 — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 07:10:53 -0800

Better quality. I'll be quiet now, I promise...

By: Pallas Athena

Pallas Athena — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 07:19:55 -0800

That was beautiful. And it takes me right back to music college, where the handsomest man in my class was a Latvian bass-- about seven feet tall, a voice to die for and cheekbones you could ski off. Crouching behind the chairs in French Song class helping him translate French love poetry into English was probably one of my most erotic music-college moments.

By: ocherdraco

ocherdraco — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 10:03:00 -0800

If others have favorites, please share! I intentionally only included two songs in the main post, for brevity, but there are many more on YouTube.

By: thylacinthine

thylacinthine — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 02:20:52 -0800

This is one of my favourites (not from the festival).

By: ocherdraco

ocherdraco — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 18:18:03 -0800

That's awesome!

By: salishsea

salishsea — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 08:11:20 -0800

This happens in Estonia too and was the thing that triggered the Estonian Singing Revolution in 1991. That is one of my favourite stories of the 20th century.

By: tavella

tavella — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 14:10:45 -0800

That's a very cool trailer, salishsea! Thanks for linking to it.

By: penguin pie

penguin pie — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 15:40:42 -0800

Hurrah! I wrote my undergrad dissertation about the Estonian song tradition, and lived in Tartu for a few months singing with local choirs while I did it, back in 1996. An incredible experience, though I never got to sing at laulupidu. But that means I'm honour-bound to offer up Mu Isamaa on Minu Arm (My Fatherland is My Love). This one's filmed at one of the youth song festivals, and seeing all those fresh-faced young Estonians who know nothing but an independent Estonia chokes me right up...