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Foreword

Our Translation

"A Latvian-German district gathered two years ago in pine-surrounded Fischbach, by Nuremberg, to celebrate the first Dziesmu Diena (Day of Song). This year, atop that same festival mount, we commemorated the First Latvian Song Festival — ours another first of its kind, a string which this year encircles the globe — everywhere, where Latvians live in colonies large and small.

"A thousand listeners and 700 active participants will indelibly remember this day, June 27, 1948, as a magical bridge to our ancient past, as a sacred pledge to our future.

"On the face of it, we are in an even bleaker situation than 75 years ago, but our spiritual inheritance over this period has so matured, our bearing so tempered at the forge of harsh circumstance, that nothing shall break us.

"When the most beautiful songs will have stopped sounding, when the festival flame will have been extinguished, when in place of our ornate costumes we have once again donned our work clothes, leaf through these pages, and moments will dawn like Latvian wonders in a foreign land, in foreign winds.

"Treasure those! In the forests of Canada, the pastures of Australia, the plantations of Brazil, the factories of America, they will call you home one day to sing:

God bless Latvia!

J ē k a b s   P o r u k s.          

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Album cover
Kārlis Puriņš
75th Anniversary Memorial of the First Latvian Song Festival, Day of Song, Fischbach by Nuremberg, June 27, 1948, Published by Viktors Puriņš
Jēkabs Poruks'
foreword
Jēkabs Poruks'
foreword
Ceļā uz svētku vietu.
On the way to the festival.
Koru gājiens.
Choir procession.
Koru gājiens.
Choir procession.
Kori tovojas svētku vietai.
Choir approaches the festival location.
Kori pulcējas estrādē.
Choir assembles at the amphitheater.
Latviešu trimdinieku augstākā garīdzniecība.
Latvian exiles' highest clergy.
LCK priekšsēdis H. Klarks atklāj svētkus.
LCK chairman H. Clark opens the festival.
Goda viesi.
Honorary guests.
Svētku kopskats.
Festival panorama.
Virsdiriģents komp. prof. Ā. Ābele.
Lead conductor, composer, Prof. Ā. Ābele
Bez saulītes vakarā bāri tur dzied.
Without the sun at night orphans sing there.
Virsdiriģents komp. A. Kalnājs.
Lead conductor, composer A. Kalnājs.
Karāļmeita audīs jaunas gaismas audus.
Choir girls will weave tapestries of a new light.
Klausītāji seko programmai.
The audience follows the program.
Komp. A. Kalnājs saņem kora atzinību.
Composer A. Kalnājs receives the Choir's recognition.
Virsdiriģents P. Banders.
Lead Conductor P. Banders.
Tur zinu tevi, zeme senā...
There, where I know you, our ancient land...
Greznie tautas tērpi.
Ornate folk costumes.
Starplaikā.
Intermission.
Dziesma nenogurdina.
No one is tired from singing.
Kura būs nākošā dziesma?
What's the next song?
Ļaužu tūkstoši.
A thousand spectators.
Dziesma vieno.
Song unites.
Kur uguns mirdz un līgo skan.
Where the flame burns bright and līgo! resounds.
Dziesmu Diena Fišbachā is reproduced as a Non-Protected work of reportage under Latvian Copyright Law §6. ¶4. Our reproduction for informational, educational, and research purposes additionally qualifies under §20. and §21.
1947Junker's DP Camp1947Skalbe's Collected Works19481948European Unification and Latvia1948Shall Latvians Perish?
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