Pirmā skolas diena Īrijas latviešu bērnu skoliņās

Inguna Grietiņa | 

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Latviešu Biedrības Īrijā bērnu mūzikas studijas – skolas “Mazais Letiņš”, skolas “Saulgriezīte” un deju kopas “Podziņa” skolēni un vecāki. Foto no Ingunas Grietiņas personīgā arhīva.

Vasarīgi saulainajā septembra pirmās nedēļas nogalē skolas zvans iezvanījās sešās Īrijas latviešu bērnu nedēļas nogales skoliņās.

Skolu skaits Īrijā ar katru gadu pieaug. Tieši pagājušajā nedēļā darbību uzsāka Latviešu biedrības Īrijā bērnu mūzikas studijā – skolā “Mazais Letiņš”, kurā patreiz darbojas 35 skolēni un 3 skolotājas, skolā “Saulgriezīte” , kurā mācās 30 skolēni Dublinā, Latviešu bērnu un sieviešu asociācijas bērnu un jauniešu centrā Limerick pilsētā, kurā mācās 34 skolēni,  Īrijas latviešu bērnu skoliņā Newry pilsētā, kurā mācās 14 skolēni, Mayo latviešu skoliņā un jaunatvērtajā (šogad pirmais mācību gads) Latviešu biedrības Īrijā reģionālā centra Portlaoise pilsētas skoliņā “Sauleszaķēns”, kuru apmeklē 30 skolēni.

Kā jau katru gadu skolas sākumu pavada jautrie bērnu smiekli, atmiņu stāstījumi par piedzīvojumiem vasarā, atkalredzēšanās prieks kopīgās rotaļās un spēlēs, kā arī nopietnās sapulcēs, kur vecāki iegūst jaunāko informāciju par skolās plānotajiem notikumiem jaunajā mācību gadā.

Vēl tādas rudenīgo dāvanu dienas priekšā ir pārējām četrām skolām – Īrijas latviešu bērnu nedēļas nogales skoliņai Drogheda pilsētā, kur mācīsies 49 skolēni, Īrijas latviešu bērnu skoliņā un jauniešu apvienības projektu grupā Navan pilsētā (šogad pirmais mācību gads) , Cork pilsētas skoliņā, kur mācīsies 25 bērni un latviešu bērnu nedēļas nogales skoliņā Blanchardstown, kur mācības uzsāks 20 skolēni.

Daudzsološs un radošs jaunais mācību gads solās veidoties skoliņā Limerick pilsētā. Skolas vadītāja Kristīne M. Walshe stāsta, ka līdz decembrim paredzētajās 15 nodarbībās bērni rakstīs un izdos paši savu skolas grāmatu, vadīs nodarbības skolotāju dienā, ceps gardu kūku Latvijas dzimšanas dienā, skaitīs, lasīs, rakstīs un zīmēs, veidos atmiņu un ankešu burtnīcas, piedalīsies multikulturālajā spēļu dienā, ko rīko Limerick pilsētas sieviešu forums, piedalīsies Mārtiņdienas tirdziņā un dāvās Ziemassvētkus meža iemītniekiem.

Savukārt Īrijas skolu asociācija Dublin pilsētā šogad rīkos pirmo Īrijas latviešu bērnu talantu konkursu “Protu?Protu!”, kurā katram bērniņam tiks dota iespēja skatītājiem demonstrēt skatuves priekšnesumu sev pieņemamā un pateicīgā sfērā, ko vēros mīļie vecāki, skolotāji, viesi no Īrijas latviešu apvienībām, vēstniecības un domes, bet bērniem saistošāku to veidos latviešu tautas paskas “Putni māca balodim ligzdu darīt” amizantais varonis- balodis.

Lai veiksmīgs mācību gads un vienmēr gudrās pūces padoms mūsu latviešu atvasītēm, neizsīkstošas enerģijas apdāvinātajām skolotājām un apzinīgajiem vecākiem visās desmit Īrijas latviešu skolās un mūsu draugiem plašajā pasaulē.

 

MPs say Latvians in Australia, Brazil need not worry about citizenship law

Andris Straumanis | 

The Latvian parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee recently struck down a recommendation that would include citizens of Australia and Brazil as among those who could qualify for dual citizenship under proposed amendments to the country’s Citizenship Law.

However, that does not mean the thousands of Latvians who live there are out of luck, say two members of parliament working on the amendments.

As it debated the amendments before moving the legislation (Nr. 52/Lp11) on to a second reading in the Saeima, the Legal Affairs Committee (Juridiskā komisija) rejected the recommendation made by the National Alliance (Nacionālā apvienība “Visu Latvijai! – Tēvzemei un Brīvībai/LNNK”).

Australia is home to about 20,000 people who claim Latvian ancestry, according to census data. The vast majority are exiles who came to the country after World War II, and their descendants. In Brazil, hundreds if not thousands more are descended from exiles or from migrations that occurred in the early 20th and late 19th centuries.

They, too, would be able to receive dual citizenship under the proposed revisions to the law, say Latvian MPs Ilmārs Latkovskis and Dzintars Rasnačs. Both men are members of the National Alliance and serve on the Citizenship Law Amendments Subcommittee (Pilsonības likuma grozījumu apakškomisija).

According to changes proposed to the Citizenship Law, Latvians in Australia, Brazil and other countries need not worry about the possibility of receiving dual citizenship, Latkovskis told Latvians Online in a Sept. 4 email.

“The amendments foresee that Latvians may receive dual citizenship regardless of the country where they live,” he wrote.

Under the proposed amendments, dual citizenship would be allowed regardless of ethnicity for citizens of countries that are members of the European Union, the European Free Trade Association or the NATO defense alliance. “This circle does not include Australia, Brazil, Venezuela, Russia and a few other countries notable for their Latvian populations,” Latkovskis wrote.

However, the amendments also would allow ethnic Latvians to obtain dual citizenship regardless of where they live and when their ancestors left the homeland, he wrote. This would apply to those who left Latvia and their descendants down to the fourth generation.

Rasnačs, meanwhile, clarified that the legislation would still face a third reading, so the question of whether Australia, Brazil and other countries are to be specifically included may not be settled.

“Our recommendation was rejected because representatives of these countries could obtain dual citizenship through the ‘exile’ paragraph and the ‘Latvians and Livonians’ paragraph,” he wrote in a Sept. 4 email. Exiles and their descendants, regardless of where they live, could reclaim their Latvian citizenship without giving up citizenship in their host country, according to the proposed amendments. Ethnic Latvians and Livonians could also obtain dual citizenship if they could prove their ancestors lived on Latvian soil between 1881 and June 17, 1940, the date when the first Soviet occupation began.

Dual citizenship also would be allowed for citizens of countries with which Latvia has treaties recognizing dual citizenship, according to the proposed amendments. However, at present no such treaties exist, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Jānis Sīlis.

Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000–2012 he was editor of the website.

Young musicians’ master classes in July now in their 10th year

Dace Aperāne | 

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2012 Master Class participants in the “Baltais flīģelis” Concert Hall in Sigulda. Photo: Alberts Linarts.

The 10th International Latvian Young Musicians’ Master Classes, with the theme – New Dimensions in Music –  took place from July 14 to 23 in the spacious and welcoming Sigulda Arts School “Baltais Flīģelis” . 

A total of 16 concerts were held in Rīga, Sigulda Castle and the beautiful “Baltais Flīģelis” Concert Hall in Sigulda to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the master classes, held biannually in Latvia since 1994.  The directors of the master classes were Dr. Ingrīda Gutberga (USA) and Normunds Vīksne (Vice-Rector of Academic Work at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music), Dace Aperāne (USA) was artistic director and Guntars Zvejnieks (Director of the Sigulda Arts School) – the administrator of the master classes.  The core program, consisting of lectures, master classes, individual lessons and free concerts was created in 1985 for the 1st Latvian Music Camp held at the Mount Orford Arts Centre in Quebec. 

At the opening ceremony, Mārtiņš Štauvers, founder of the music camps in Canada and editor of the master classes’ two newspapers, encouraged each of the participants to become a special “note” during their time at the master classes.

Throughout the 9 day professional music program master classes were held in piano, strings, percussion and woodwind instruments, composition, conducting, music pedagogy, voice, vocal and instrumental jazz, as well as chamber music, chamber orchestra, chorus and John Cage’s “Songbooks” ensemble rehearsals.  98 young musicians from a number of music high schools in Latvia, the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, the Rīga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy and music institutions in Lithuania, Germany and Switzerland all participated with a wonderful sense of dedication and purpose in their musical studies, activities and concerts. 

One of the most moving concerts was the 10th anniversary concert in which alumni from all of the master classes and even the 3rd music camp in Mount Orford performed on the stage of “Baltais flīģelis”.  The newly-published book Mūzikas nometņu stāsti was presented before the concert.

The participants and teachers came from 10 countries: Latvia, Lithuania, France, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Mexico, Japan, Greece and the United States.  The faculty of outstanding musicians and guest lecturers consisted of many former master classes’ participants, such as the pianist Lauma Skride, oboist Egils Upatnieks, composers Gundega Šmite, Ēriks Ešenvalds, Andris Dzenītis, Mārtiņš Viļums and Rolands Kronlaks.  Chamber music ensembles were coached by Gunta Sproģe (JVLMA Chamber Music department chair), pianist Lauma Skride, duo pianists Antra and Normunds Vīksne, flutist Dace Bičkovska and composer Pēteris Plakidis. 

Artists and instructors from North America – Rasma Lielmane (violin, Mexico), Uga Grants (piano, USA), Pauls Berkolds, Jacqueline Bobak, Mark Bobak (Vir2ual Cage ensemble, USA, www.vir2ualcage.org) , Vija Vētra (dance, USA), Anita Kuprisa (conducting, USA), Janet Lawson (jazz vocalist, USA), Dana Paul Perna (composer, USA),  Europe – Gunārs Larsens (violin, Switzerland), Andra Dārziņa (viola, Germany), Nigel Smith (France),  Lauma Skride (piano, Germany),  Mārtiņs Viļums (composer, Lithuania) and Dimitri Maronidis (composer, Aristotle University, Greece), Asia – Anna Etsuko Tsuri (lighting designer, Japan) and Australia – Janis Laurs.  Latvian Radio 3 – Klasika and Estonian Klassikaraadio included the master classes in their “Radio Classics Project” and produced a special video about the master classes (http://klasika.latvijasradio.lv/radioclassics/).

A series of lectures and discussions concerning New Dimensions in music pedagogy were led and coordinated by Aurika Gulbe (Rīga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy) and Gunta Melbārde (Jāzeps Mediņš First Music School).  Composer Pēteris Vasks encouraged an audience of music teachers to devote more time to the teaching of Latvian chamber and other music.  Pianist Liene Circene described her experiences in working with young children in an Orff-based music program at the Sigulda Arts School.  Many lecturers, such as Kaspars Bikše, Diāna Zandberga, Pauls Berkolds, Artūrs Cingujevs, Valters Pūce and Guntars Zvejnieks discussed a variety of topics relating to new developments in methodology, interdisciplinary approaches, performance practices and technology.  Gundega Šmite (Chairperson of the Latvian Composers’ Union) led and coordinated a series of lectures and activities for the Composition master classes, based on new electronic and computer technology.  One of the guest lecturers was the American composer Dana Paul Perna who spoke about music composition in the Digital Age.

The Latvian Minister for Culture, Žaneta Jaunzeme-Grende, attended the closing concert of the master classes and in congratulating young musicians, called on them to develop their individual and unique talents as fully as possible.  A concert of Latvian orchestral music under the direction of conductor Normunds Dreģis (Latvia) and choral music under the direction of Anita Kuprisa (USA) and Jānis Baltiņš (Latvia) brought the master classes to a jubilant conclusion, with many students expressing a great interest in returning to the next master classes in 2014.

From the beginning of the master classes’ opening concert, with different colors lighting up the Baltais flīģelis stage, to the John Cage students’ ensemble concert at the Spīķeri Concert Hall in Rīga, the theme of “New Dimensions in Music” was explored through lighting, music, improvisation, movement, video and poetry.  The young participants, ranging in age from 16 to 22,  were eager to explore these many dimensions and did so with great creativity, flair and enthusiasm.

The International Latvian Young Musicians’ Master Classes are unique, as they are the only master classes in Latvia that offer a comprehensive and varied program in almost all music disciplines, with a particular emphasis on Latvian music. The participation of Latvian and non-Latvian teachers and performers lends a special energy to the program.  Since the master classes are not a festival, donations and grant monies from Latvian organizations and individuals in North America and Latvia, as well as student participation fees, provide the main sources of funding.

Young musicians from music high schools, academies, conservatories and universities are encouraged to consider participating in the XI International Latvian Young Musicians’ Master Classes, with the theme “The Baroque and Our Time”, from June 30 to July 9, 2014 once again in Sigulda, Latvia.  Information will be posted soon on the following website:  www.baltaisfligelis.lv/muzika/meistarklases

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Chamber orchestra of the Master classes. Photo: Alberts Linarts.

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Artistic director of the Master classes, Dace Aperāne. Photo: Alberts Linarts

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