The Latvian Song and Dance Festival

Don't get swept up in the frenzy or add to the negativity - instead, find a way to attend one of the XXIV Latvian Song and XIV Dance Festival events!

See the events and concert programme at - http://www.dziesmusvetki2008.lv/index.php?&98

Yesterday, Saturday, while browsing online I happened to check the Biļešu Paradīze website. To my surprise, I found dress rehearsal tickets being sold for Ls1.00. We had already given up hope of making it to the Mežaparks stage this year, having heard media reports that all tickets were sold out, with apparent resale prices for the final concert reaching Ls150 and more. Well, we drove to the Biļešu Paradīze box office at Domina shopping centre and, just 2 hours before the concert, bought cheap tickets in a great spot - zone 1, sector 6.

The dress rehearsal felt nothing like a rehearsal - it was a full-blooded concert. The grand stage was packed with singers and musicians in folk costumes from every region. The entire programme of the Song Festival opening concert „Dziedot dzimu, dziedot augu" was performed, based on the printed programme available at the information centre for Ls 0.20.

An event full of positive emotions and nostalgia - one that I think resonates with every other Latvian (former choir members and dancers will know what I mean).

You can sing along to the Song Festival songs and melodies by voice part at - http://www.kori.lv/index/songs.php

Forever and ever there will be song,
And forever and ever the beer will foam,
And forever at the Song Festival
Will come a girl in white stockings.