The regional song festival in Šiauliai will give meaning to century-old traditions

In 2024 June 1 6 p.m. The stage of the central park of Šiauliai will become the center of a unique event - the regional song festival "Teka saulelė" will be held here. The program will feature the songs of the 100th anniversary Song Festival "Kad giria žaliaųt", the Day of Songs "Kad giria žaliaųt", and the brass band concert "Vario audra". Thousands of voices will merge into one powerful instrument, which will show the unity of the nation and the common desire to preserve its culture and traditions.
The organizer is the Šiauliai Cultural Center. The partner is the Lithuanian National Cultural Center. The event is financed by Šiauliai city municipality. Informational sponsors: Lithuanian National Radio and Television, media group "Etaplius", "Šiaulių krastas", "Miestos naujienos", "Owexx". The event is free.

The tradition of song festivals reached Lithuania a hundred years ago - in 1924 in Kaunas, when it gathered the entire community and showed the power and importance of its culture. A year ago, Šiauliai pulsated with one rhythm - led by unity and traditions, the regional folk dance festival "Teka saulelė" took place. In 2023, artistic dance performances built bridges between hearts, generations and cultures.

This year, the City of Saulės again joins the program of the great Lithuanian song festival commemorating the centenary "Kad giria žaliuautsi" by organizing the regional song festival "Teka saulelė". At that time, the songs were about the beauty of Lithuania, its history and the hard work of its people. All of this came down to the texts that our generation remembers, which will also be heard proudly at the regional song festival "Teka saulelė" on June 1.

"By organizing the regional song festival in Šiauliai, we aim not only to nurture centuries-old traditions, but also to introduce the younger generation to the beauty and meaning of this phenomenon. We believe that participation in the festival will inspire young people to be interested in the culture of their nation, to nurture Lithuanian tradition and music, and to contribute to the continuity of these vibrant traditions," says the director of the Šiauliai Cultural Center, Deimantė Bačiulė.

Choirs and brass bands with choreographic groups from all over Lithuania will participate in the regional song festival this year. It is true that the history of Lithuanian choirs throughout the country's existence has been plagued by challenges caused by the period of the press ban and other misfortunes. The choral culture in Lithuania was formed before the First World War, and developed even after regaining independence. Since then, the activities of choirs have not only expanded, but also planted a seed of unity, determination and community spirit in the heart and subconscious of every Lithuanian.

The organizers reveal that a photo exhibition will be held in the central park of the city of Šiauliai in order to give meaning to the tradition of song festivals, which connects us with the past and deepens the connection with the nation and culture. The open-air exhibition will depict fragments of the century-long history of the Song Festivals - the dancing and singing groups of the city of Šiauliai, the region, other festival participants, the people of Šiauliai. It is hoped that the memories captured in the photographs will not only allow us to re-remember and return to the moments of the century, but also inspire us to create a new history of song festivals.

It is reported that the program of the regional song festival "Teka saulelė" will feature the songs of the 100th anniversary song festival "Kad giria žaliautė" - the most important day of the festival - the song day "Kad giria žaliautė" and the brass band concert "Vario audra". This is a special event for every Lithuanian, every Šiauliai resident, which will go down in the history of our nation, the echoes of which will hopefully be heard for many centuries to come.

All information about the regional song festival "Teka saulelė" can be found on the Šiauliai Cultural Center website.

The information is provided by Aušra Brijūnienė, head of the Amateur Art Department of the Šiauliai Cultural Center, mobile. +370 655 25 527, e-mail ausra.brijuniene@siauliukc.lt.

Photo by Roland Parafinavičius.