45th Anniversary Concert of the Boys’ Choir of Jāzeps Mediņš Riga Music School “We Can Stand Side by Side”

This year, the boys’ choir of Jāzeps Mediņš Riga 1st Music School is celebrating its 45th anniversary, and to mark the occasion the choir and its artistic director Romāns Vanags invite you in November and December to the anniversary concerts “We Can Stand Side by Side.”

Speaking about the upcoming concerts, R. Vanags says: “Every five years we try to celebrate the choir’s birthday, and this time our 45th anniversary has come, so we will go on a concert tour around Latvia together with our trusted friends - singers Ance Krauze and Zigfrīds Muktupāvels, as well as new friends - musicians Jānis Aišpurs and Kārlis Būmeisters, whose son now sings in the choir, so these concerts will also feature a father and son reunion. At the piano for the concert will be composer Uldis Marhilevičs. In addition, in each of the concert venues, local boys’ choirs that we are happy to work with will join us for a few songs at the end of the concert.

The concert program includes works by both Kārlis and Jānis, and Zigfrīds has also promised a new song. Of course, we will not do without our special friend of many decades - composer Uldis Marhilevičs, whose music is an indispensable part of the choir’s anniversary concerts and who, in honor of this anniversary, also promises to write something new. Songs from the cycle “Soldiers’ Songs” will definitely be performed as well - so there will be both new pieces and familiar ones. Once, Maestro Raimonds Pauls told me: “You do not need to overeducate the audience, because listeners already like familiar works. Even from Pavarotti, people always wanted to hear ‘O Sole Mio’ and ‘Nessun dorma’...” I will take his advice into account, so we will sing what everyone wants to hear and always expects from us. But the choir will already begin the anniversary season in September with a concert in Slovakia, in the famous Bratislava Cathedral, where our new friends and supporters Balticovo will help us get there.”

The concerts “We Can Stand Side by Side” will take place:

November 8 at 4 PM at Liepāja Concert Hall Lielais dzintars

November 19 at 7 PM at Cēsis Concert Hall

December 6 at 4 PM in Ventspils, at Concert Hall Latvija

December 9 at 7 PM in Riga, at VEF Culture Palace