Mazeikiai City Choir "Draugyste"
Mazeikiai, Lithuania
Ricardas Grusas - conductor
Competition Section
| Title | Composer | Lyrics |
|---|---|---|
| Svecena pesna za brakata | Taki Chriski | |
| Pater noster / The Lord’s Prayer | Vaclovas Augustinas | Vladas Braziunas |
| Uztekejo saulele / Sun Has Risen | Zita Bruzaite | Traditional |
| Ausros zvaigzde / Dawn Star | Algirdas Martinaitis | Antanas Strazdas |
| Cancionero de Palacio / Palace Songbook | Anonymous | Anonymous |
| Pempel, pempel / Peewit, Peewit | Jonas Svedas | Traditional |
Sacred Section
| Title | Composer | Lyrics |
|---|---|---|
| O sacrum convivium / O holy meeting | Konradas Kaveckas | |
| Malda uz tevyne / Prayer for the Motherland | Julius Gaidelis | |
| In monte oliveti / In Olive Mountain | Juozas Naujalis | |
| Buk pagarbintas / Be honored | Josef Haydn | Viktoras Mieliulis (Lithuanian lyrics) |
| Take my hand | George N. Allen | Thomas A. Darsey |
The choir “Draugyste” was established in the year 1962. During its long existence, the choir has preformed at many concerts in Lithuania and abroad: Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Sweden, Italy, Latvia, Estonia, Austria and Germany. The choir has released the DVDs “Song of Motherland” and “A Gift from God”.
On 17 December 1965, the choir was named as Example. Thanks to the choir and its leader, R. Grusas' initiative, in the years 1990, 2002 and 2004, there were organized three festivals of sacred music in the Church of Christ’s Holy Heart of Mazeikiai.
Ricardas Grusas (born 1950) is a music teacher, conductor and organizer of music festivals. Since 1980, he has worked as a Director of the Mazeikiai Music School and since 1981 he is the conductor of the Mazeikiai City Choir Draugyste.
Mazeikiai is a city in north-western Lithuania, on the Venta River. It has a population of around 45,300, making it the eighth largest city in Lithuania. The city is the administrative center of Mazeikiai district municipality in Telsiai County. In 1894, an Orthodox church was built and a synagogue had been founded several years earlier, in 1902 a Catholic church, and in 1906 an Evangelical-Lutheran church. Today, Mazeikiai is one of the largest industrial city of Lithuania.
