BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FESTIVAL
Choir singing is one of the livelest traditions in Latvian culture. Its most spectacular expression is the Song and Dance Festival, taking place every five years since 1873. Both in the time of Latvia's first independence and in the years of occupation thousands of Latvians have had the unique feeling of unity through the song.
The youth choir movement has activised in the 80thies. Then the idea about the festival arouse. The first one took place in 1988 and the next ones every two years. These festivals are important not only for the opportunity to make music together, but especially for the possibility to look after and to create innovatory discoveries and original approach to artistic values.
29 choirs from Sweden, Slovakia, Lithuania and Latvia participated in the previous festival
"Rîgas Zîle 96". It should be noted that during this " the 5th Festival " an International Youth Choir Competition was held. It was valued by international jury including Cris Fictoor (Holland), Tadas Ðumskas (Lithuania), Andris Veismanis, Kaspars Putniòð, Juris Kïaviòð (Latvia) under the guidance of the famous Estonian conductor Venno Laul. The jury highly prized good professional level of the participants and stressed that the Youth Choir Festival is a particularly significant event as the youth will be those who build the world of future.