Events
September 2006
ITALY → LITHUANIA
On September 7-10, 2006 F.Cordini Polyphonic Group /Arezzo, Italy/ (Choir Conductor Roberto Tofi) were the first to open a new stage (Phase 3) in the project development,- the stage of choir exchange visits. The Italian choir was hosted by the Institute of Foreign Languages and Vilnius University Female choir “Virgo”/Vilnius, Lithuania/ (Choir Conductor Rasa Gelgotienė).
During the three-day visit the choroists from Italy not only rehearsed the repertoire of the project but they also studied the basics of the Lithuanian language with a particular focus on the Lithuanian sound pronunciation, taught by the Lithuanian language promoter Rita Vickienė. The visitors had an opportunity to get acquainted with some segments of the Lithuanian history and culture while sightseeing Vilnius and Trakai, playing the Lithuanian folk instruments, dancing folk dances or tasting the national dishes.
The Lithuanian partner had an opportunity to “taste” the Italian language promoted by Manuela Calzini, a well-known teacher-trainer and an advocate of the communicative approach. Manuela visited the project target group at Vilnius 4th Boarding School and told the children about the country and city she came from, taught them to sing some Italian songs and the basic communicational phrases of Italian via the games.
The visit of “Coradini” polyphonic group ended in the Joint Choir Concert held at Johns’ Church on Saturday at 18:00, 9 September 2006.
• “L’innamorato da Balletti a 5 voci” di Giovanni Giacomo Gastolfi (Conductor R.Tofi)
• “O ragazzina” Canto popolare toscano
• “Va’pensiero da Nabucco” di Giuseppe Verdi
The songs for the project choirs are arranged by Angiolo Maccarini
• Lithuanian folk song harmonised by M.K.Čiurlionis „Anoj pusėj Nemuno“ (Conductor R.Gelgotienė)
• Lithuanian folk song harmonized by J.Tallat-Kelpša „Tris dienas, tris naktis“
• „Vasaros šokis“ by Benjaminas Gorbulskis, verse by Aleksas Dabulskis
The songs for the Project choirs are arranged by Rasa Gelgotienė.
• Missa brevis KV 65 by V.A. Mozart (Conductor RobertoTofi, organ player Alessandro Tricomi)
The visit ended though the memories from it are still fresh. The poem written by Luigi Fiacchini and dedicated to Lithuania still has been exciting the emotions of the recent past:
Negli splendidi
Occhi
Di una terra lontana
Si riflettono
I nostri sentimenti
Mossi da un alito di vento
E navigano
Lungo le sponde dei laghi
Osservando
Un antico e nobile passato
Pieno di gloria
E di vittorie . . .
Stringeva
La mia mano
Il cuore
Di una bellissima ragazza
Ed é
Fragile
Lo splendore
Di un legame
In una terra
Baciata dal mare,
Dal vento,
Dal cielo,
Da un Padre Celeste
Che la ama
Di un amore grandissimo
E chiamata
LITUANIA.
By Luigi Fiacchini
Gruppo Coradini – Italy
Through the
Eyes
Of a far away land
Are reflected
Our deepest feelings
Moved by a soft breeze
And gently sailing
Along the shores of its lakes
Carefully observing
An old and noble past
Full of glory
Full of victory
Holding
My hand was
The heart
Of a beautiful girl
And
Fragile too
The beauty of
Such a bond
In a land
Embraced by the sea,
by the wind
by the sky,
by a Celestial Father
Who loves her
A love so grand
Her name is
LITHUANIA.
Translated by Manuela Calzini
ACLI Arezzo - Italy
