Dear Friends,

The Burlington Choral Society's fall concert, Baltic Heartbeat: Music from Lithuania, is just a week away, Saturday the 23rd. We'll present festive traditional works, a joyful Magnificat and more from a country rich in song at 7:30 p.m. at College Street Congregational Church in Burlington.

The Lithuanian embassy in Washington is sending a representative, and we hope you'll be in the audience to join in our celebration. Dovydas Spokauskas, Deputy Chief of Mission from the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Washington, will introduce the concert.
 
Our artistic director, Richard Riley, will lead our 60 choristers, along with Jenny Bower, pianist and organist, and other instrumentalists.

We'll start off with the rousing Lithuanian national anthem and go on to a varied program. Classical pieces include the Magnificat, Mary's song of joy, in a lovely contemporary version.

Zesty traditional works feature images of larks, nightingales, trees and rural life.

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."  

Tickets are available at the FlynnTix Box Office, www.flynntix.org and (802) 86-FLYNN, and at the door as available. Prices are $25 for adults and $20 for students.

I'd love to see you there,
Mike Coffey