The Song Festival Tradition in Canada
The Latvian Song Festival Tradition in Canada
The Latvian Song Festival tradition in Canada lies in direct continuity with the tradition that began in 1873 during the National Awakening in Latvia.. Latvians see themselves as a singing nation, and this idea is a cornerstone of their identity.
In Latvian tradition, singing is a way to assert one's personhood, dialogue with others, soothe the soul, and overcome grief. Choral singing, along with folk dancing, became an integral part of life in the post-war refugee camps, and the DP community managed to successfully hold a series of festivals under very adverse conditions in both the American and British zones of occupation. The largest took place in Esslingen, Germany, on May 25, 1947.
Jāzeps Vītols, in exile in 1945, told singers and kokle players that "our nation's living sound will build a safe bridge that will bring us back to the homeland anointed by our ancestors' sweat and brothers' blood. May your voices be ever more resonant, may your kokles be brighter—beautiful will be the wreath bestowed by the land of your fathers."
Left: Jāzeps Vītols, Composer, Professor, Longtime Rector of the Latvian Conservatory of Music
Below: Latvian Song Festival Program, Esslingen am Neckar, May 25, 1947 (pdf)
The idea of holding a song festival in Canada was first floated in 1951, but it was put on hold because the community did not have the financial means, and there were not enough choirs. However, the community took its first steps toward a Canadian festival in 1952 with a one-day event and went on to hold the First Latvian Song Festival in Canada in 1953.
The Second Latvian Song Festival in Canada took place from May 31 to June 2 in 1957, with over 900 singers representing 24 vocal groups at the mass choir concert. There was no folk dance spectacle yet, although folk dancing was part of the choral concert. The festival also included sporting events. These festivals were not only about performance and artistic achievement—they were also much anticipated social events and opportunities to build community.
The conductor and composer Arvīds Purvs wrote in the 1953 program notes: "Our choirs are the guardians of Latvian songs on every continent. They call out: 'Boys and girls, men and women, do not throw your kokle (note: Latvian folk instrument symbolizing the musical spirit) away. The great Latvian singing spirit doesn't reside in happy chat about Latvians as a singing nation. It is up to us to take a stand against the force that denies voice to the service of God.'
We no longer live in times when song alone could drive enemies away. Even blood baths receive mere words of sympathy. But song has the power to warm us and turn our hearts to national self-awareness and unity. May we continue to hear the sound of the Tālava horn above the imperious clinking of coin and copper pieces in the noisy marketplace. Let us not become a horde/pack of drifters ..."