On 29 August at 20:00, Ancient Fire Night will be celebrated on Liepāja Beach by the Roņu Street access to the sea. As the sun sets, bonfires will light up coastlines all around the Baltic Sea. The tradition, which originated in Finland, will unite coastal communities in eight Baltic Sea countries – Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Poland – symbolically celebrating their shared cultural heritage and the connection between the peoples of the Baltic Sea.
The musical highlight of the evening in Liepāja will be provided by one of Latvia’s leading vocal ensembles, “Latvian Voices”. The group consists of six musicians – Beāte Krūmiņa, Laura Jēkabsone, Zane Stafecka-Tene, Paula Pērkone, Una Stade and Jānis Stazdiņš – whose a cappella voices create a remarkably rich and nuanced soundscape, especially fitting for the atmosphere of Ancient Fire Night by the sea.
The ensemble’s repertoire brings together Latvian choral and folk music traditions, world music, as well as original compositions and arrangements created by the group’s members, particularly composer Laura Jēkabsone. Their creative mission is to reveal the richness of Latvian folk songs through a contemporary a cappella sound, create original music and carry the name of Latvia – a land that sings – out into the world.
The concert programme will feature arrangements of Latvian folk songs, original compositions based on folk song lyrics, a cappella arrangements of works by Emīls Dārziņš and Imants Kalniņš, as well as songs in Estonian, Lithuanian and English. It will be a musical story about the Baltic Sea, the closeness between nations and the unifying power of people, bringing Latvian musical heritage together with the cultures of other nations.
Please note that photography and video recording will take place during the event. The resulting materials will be used for publicity purposes related to the event and the Liepāja Culture Department. By attending the event, you acknowledge that you have been informed that you may be included in audio or visual materials.