The Lithuanian Song Festival: 100 years of tradition
The Lithuanian Song Festival: 100 years of tradition Lithuania’s song festival, Dainų šventė , celebrated its 100 th anniversary in July. It stands as Lithuania’s paramount cultural phenomenon, involving tens of thousands of Lithuanians and several diaspora choirs from the US, Canda, Mexico, Brazil and Scotland. Yet despite sharing similar festivals, the presence of choirs from the other Baltic countries is a rare sight to see. An old woman blows kisses onto the procession from her flat window. She's dressed in national costume and an array of amber beads. Among the crowds lining the streets, other elderly ladies in similar dress sit on benches, too old to march the three kilometres from Vilnius’ Cathedral Square to Vingis Park, the festival grounds, but keen to be part of the Lithuanian Song Festival parade. I am with my Latvian choir, Ziemelu Balsis, whom I met in Estonia, and we process in strict formation through the streets with the flags of Estonia and Latvia ...