For its fall concert, the Burlington Choral Society presents music from a country rich in song. In recent years, the chorus has performed concerts featuring Estonia and Latvia. Next, we complete our musical tour of the three Baltic nations.

Artistic director Richard Riley will lead the chorus, soloists and guest instrumentalists.

The Lithuanian national anthem begins and ends the program, with an array of sacred and lively traditional and folk songs in between.

Classical pieces include the Magnificat, Mary’s song of joy, which composers through the ages have set to music. The BCS will perform a contemporary version by Kristina Vasiliauskaite. Other sacred works are a Pater Noster by Vaclovo Augustino and the 1899 cantata De Profundis by M.K. Ciurlionis.

Honoring the legacy of Lithuanian Jews who began settling in Vermont in the late 19th century, the program includes a solo performance of the poignant Yiddish song Unter dayne vayse shtern (Under Your white stars).

Our director says, “Lithuania’s distinctive choral style features ‘music of the people,’ as political turmoil has greatly influenced how Lithuanian music is disseminated and heard internationally. There's rich repertoire for the church, but equally interesting and distinctive are pieces from folk traditions. I have tried to enter into this remarkable culture by arranging three of the traditional songs myself."  

College Street Congregational Church [map]

265 College St., Burlington, VT