5th International Boys Choir Festival "Rīgas Doms – 2004"

Spring has arrived again, along with the 5th International Boys’ Choir Festival Rīgas Doms – 2004, which many have been eagerly awaiting.

Music and song have the wondrous ability to be appreciated by people of all cultural, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds. Latvia’s deep-rooted choir-singing traditions and its talented new generation of choir singers have spread Latvia’s name far and wide, and brought resonant voices from all corners of the globe to this country. As Latvia opens its arms to the world, the world embraces Latvia in song.

I am pleased that this year audiences outside of Riga will also be able to enjoy the performances of this festival’s talented artists.

I hope that the festival provides many moments of joy to its organisers, participants and audience.

Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga
President of the Republic of Latvia
2003.gada 14.aprīlī.

“Voices filling Your heart with white and fine strings”

Through centuries up to the modern times the boys’ choir singing has been fascinating the people’s hearts with the purity of their sound and the spiritual power of their performance. The tradition of boys’ choirs in Latvia finds its roots in the comprehensive schools all over the country.
On May 31, 2003, Cesis was holding the 7th Latvian Boys’ Choir Rally and 64 boys’ choirs filled up the open-air stage for the final concert.
The leaders of the tradition are Riga Dom Cathedral Boys’ Choir and Jaz.Medins Music School Boys’ Choir, hosting the singing festival in Riga and other parts of Latvia with outstanding guest choirs – boys’ choirs from the USA, Byelorussia, Denmark, Estonia, Great Britain and Norway.

The 5th (jubilee) International Boys’ Choir Festival “Rigas Doms” is one of the few in the world that follows its elite idea and exclusive mission in contrast to the world modern mass culture. Its main message is to convince people that singing in a high-level boys’ choir promotes development of a harmonious personality alongside with education and physical activities.

For the first time a boys’ solo singing competition will be held. Latvian composers U.Stabulnieks and M.Lasmanis were commissioned to write pieces for the event. The Festival will present a number of new compositions. The composer Juris Kulakovs is currently writing his cantata “O Lux Beata Trinitas” for three tenor voices and Riga Dom Boys Choir. Janis Lusens has already completed his cantata “Jubilate Deo” for a large boys’ choir and Liepaja choir of chimes.
Well-known vocal artists (Guntars Rungis, Miervaldis Jencs, Nauris Puntulis, Dita Kalnina, Kristine Gailite, Evita Zalite) as well as the band “Prata Vetra”, Maria Naumova, Ainars Mielavs, the vocal group ”Cosmos”, Riga Dom Choir School girls’ choir and a saxophone trio , a percussionist group of E.Darzins music school, three leading boys’ and girls’ choirs from Latvian schools will participate in the Festival concerts.

Janis Erenstreits,
Festival music director

The basic Festival goals:

- to promote development of the choir singing tradition in Latvia by sharing the experience with the best European and world boys’ choirs;

- to educate the Latvian music teachers by master-classes and concerts during the festival week;

- to develop the inter-cultural relations and promote interest about Latvia as an attractive and unique part of the world culture.