Lithuanian Youth Song Festival Features Accordion Concert, Prepares for Grand Dance and Song Days

Lithuania's youth song festival is in full swing, celebrating the nation's cultural heritage through music and dance. A recent highlight was a joint accordion concert held at St. John's Church, showcasing the talents of the Vilnius region, Žemaitija region, and Panevėžys region accordion orchestras.

The concert featured a diverse repertoire, including works by composers such as Algimantas Raudonikis, Balys Dvarionas, and Karl Jenkins. Over 300 young accordionists participated in the event, which was directed by Irena Žilinskienė. The festival's program is set to continue until the evening of July 6th.

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We will rely on traditions, customs, Lithuanian holidays, and on stage, not only dancers but also actors and their created characters will perform. The novelty of this performance is four islands – spring, summer, autumn, and winter – which will connect the performance with textual and theatrical inserts. Viewers will certainly recognize folklore details: bees, birdhouses, impressive Užgavėnės masks, storks, natural elements, flour, etc. The Dance Day should become an incredibly beautiful, moving spectacle.

The "Ensembles Evening" on Saturday, July 4th, is anticipated to be a major highlight, gathering more than 4,000 participants in Kalnai Park. This year's festival places special emphasis on the kanklės, a traditional Lithuanian plucked string instrument, with over 300 participants set to perform. Jurgita Petkutė-Marcinkienė, the lead supervisor for the traditional kanklės performance, noted the instrument's renewed popularity among young people.

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During the Song Day, we will follow a child's story from cradle to maturity, from mother's love to the first manifestations of romantic love. This year we will hear many optimistic, fun, well-known songs, and we will also see sign language.

Further events include a Dance Day on July 5th at the "Arena Vilnius," where approximately 6,000 dancers will present a theatrical performance titled "Ratu ratu" (Circle of Circles), symbolizing the cycles of seasons and life. The artistic director, Živilė Adomaitienė, described the show as a blend of traditions, customs, and modern rhythms, incorporating folklore elements and theatrical interludes.

The festival will conclude on July 6th with the Song Day in Vingis Park, featuring a choir of ten thousand voices performing both well-known and contemporary pieces. Renowned artists like Pijus Opera and Veronika Povilionienė are also scheduled to perform. The artistic director, V. Miškinis, stated that the Song Day will follow a child's life story, from infancy to adulthood, and will conclude with the national anthem, "Tautiška giesmė," uniting participants and the audience.

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Children, youth, and adults are rediscovering the kanklės, which is why the number of participants playing the kanklės this year is extremely high.