American Lithuanian Church Choirs - Nurturers Of National Identity DANUTĖ PETRAUSKAITĖ Introduction IVlass emigration of Lithuanians to the USA started at the end of the nineteenth century. There were musicians among the first immigrants. Some of them brought along their violins, harmonicas and clarinets, gathering in dormitories after a hard day's work so that their songs would ring out even a few blocks away. Others partied in their own homes; and still others, who were more business minded, opened their own saloons-Lithu­ anian-style inns with dancing and singing, only bolder and more audacious. Thus country musicians, like art pioneers, were the first to spread Lithuanian music among their own and other nationalities. It would be difficult to imagine any large Lithuanian gathering, party, and wedding without them. These evening gatherings were spontaneous, without anyone purposefully directing or coordinating them. Thus today, we can consider them only as the beginnings of musical life or the introductory stage ofa new era,which started by founding Lith­ uanian parishes and associations. Being far from their mother­ land, Lithuanians not to forget their native language, national customs and traditions as well as the faith inherited from their ancestors. This is why they donated their hard-earned money for the construction of Lithuanian churches, hired organists, started parish choirs, and engaged in various musical activi­ ties. Danute Petrauskaite is a professor at the Department of Music Histo­ ry and Theory at Klaipeda University and a senior reseracher and di­ rector of the Institute of Musicology. She has published several books and numerous articles both in Lithuania and abroad. 54 Founding of church choirs With the foundation of Lithuanian parishes, the first choirs also began to be founded. Although, due to the short­ age of choirmasters, not right away; this is why the priests had to hold Mass unaccompanied. The organists and bolder choir singers, who were able to read sheet music, became choir founders and leaders. Although organists started coming to America in 1879, the first church choir wasn't established until 1885 at St. Casimir's Parish, in Pitston, Pennsylvania. Evident­ ly, it was difficult to gather singers and to select the appropri­ ate repertoire. As more organists became available, however, and as more sheet music for them was printed, the number of choirs grew. The choir singers were longing for Lithuanian church services, and at the beginning they attended rehears­ als willingly, even though some of them had to walk seven to eight miles to get there: back then, there were no means of mass transportation yet. Most of the time, they would chant in a folk way-in two-part singing, or harmonizing. "If a certain mixed choir was singing in four parts, it was widely talked about."1 For Lithuanian Americans, singing in a church choir was not merely an assembly of singers, but also an opportunity to get together, to share their hardships and joys, and to remember their home country. As Lithuanians started organizing into various parties and organizations, disagreements arose that hurt the existence of the church choirs. At the slightest excuse, dissatisfied sing­ ers would leave the parish and establish secular choruses. They were joined by those who thought that church activities were too confining. This, however, was not to the detriment of the parish choirs, since for many being Lithuanian also meant be­ ing Catholic. Singing in church choirs, as a matter of fact, was a form of spiritual existence. In the U.S., between the end of the nineteenth century un­ til the last decade of the twentieth century, there were more than a hundred church choirs that lived, dissolved and formed again. Their abundance and activity was most prominent be­ tween the two world wars. The states of Pennsylvania, Illinois Žilevičius, 1971, 16. 55 and Massachussets, with the largest settlements of Lithuanians, led in the number of church choirs. For many church singers, participation in the choir was one of their major cultural activi­ ties and provided immense emotional, spiritual and national pride. Parish choirs had a dual purpose: 1) to participate in church services and represent the parish in various religious and secular events, and 2) to cherish the exiles' national spirit and to foster their patriotic feelings. Both priests and organists, along with the choir leaders, acknowledged without a doubt that Lithuanian art was one of the most powerful factors in fostering a national identity among the emigres. Therefore, the repertoire of the church choirs was not limited to solely liturgi­ cal or religious music, but to a great extent was based on folk songs and secular works by Lithuanian composers. As early as the beginning of the twentieth century, the idea of founding the Parish Choir Association started spreading among American Lithuanian organists. But it was established only in 1933, when its statute, prepared by Juozas Žilevičius, was ratified. Since then, the parish choir movement became more active, but not at the same speed in different areas. Right away, in 1934, choir members in New Jersey became active by organizing an event for the Lithuanian choirs to get acquaint­ ed. A year later, similar events took place in Chicago, and Pitts­ burgh, and in 1938 in Brooklyn. The majority of Lithuanians were glad to have a Parish Choir Association established. The Consul of Lithuania, Petras Daužvardis, wrote: Our youth cannot become Lithuanian by themselves. We have to raise them that way. [...] A choir with a thorough plan and management should take the young people over from schools and lead them into social life, because a song impresses a child, plants permanent roots and establishes strong ties with the nation. Song played a vital role in Lithuania under Russian opression, it can play a similar role among Lithuanians living in a free America.2 The Association promoted the growth of choirs, which became cultural as well as family hearths, because the young people met there, got acquainted and later often married. 2 Daužvardis, 1938, 2. 56 One of the greatest choir enthusiasts was Juozas Žilevičius. Through the press, he encouraged Lithuanians to let their chil­ dren sing in church choirs and explained: Respectable parishioners, or in other words, all parents, have the sacred duty and noble task to encourage their sons and daughters to go to parish choirs. By doing so, you participate in a very important work, at no expense to you, that you may have overlooked. You accustom your young ones to moral, national, and religious maturity, give them a chance to learn the Lithuanian language, to fall in love with Lithuanian folk songs and, through fhem-Lithuania and the Lithuanian nation [...] The choir, with its chants and songs, brings joy to the parish; on occasion it acquaints foreigners with the Lithuanian language and music; thus, it is clear, that it is the voice of national vitality.3 During World War II, parish choirs started to break down: a large number of men-who were in short supply in choirs, anyway-had been drafted. This was also a result of the abro­ gation of the Parish Choir Association; i.e., its annexation to the American-Lithuanian Organists Society. War refugees, who started arriving in the U.S. around 1950, revived some church choirs and strengthened their artistic potential. Disagreements between the different generations, however, prevented har­ monious reciprocal work; therefore, more secular choirs were founded. Despite this, parish choir singers actively participat­ ed in all cultural events and, with their concerts, added to the efforts for Lithuania's liberation. Many immigrants understood that in exile one must live with the hope that the status of occu­ pied Lithuania would come to an end sometime: "Even though our country is occupied, we should kindle interest in its musi­ cal and creative life as much as we kindle interest in our moth­ erland."4 This was the reason the church choirs enhanced their musical programs by adding the works of Soviet Lithuanian composers. As the Lithuanian emigre community grew older, the number of parishes declined, and the church choirs experienced the same loss. They mostly survived in the biggest Lithuanian 3 Žilevičius, 1933. '' "Leidiniai," Muzikos žinios, 1982, No. 2, 24. 57 communities: Chicago, Boston, Cleveland, Detroit and others. Many were upset that churches built with Lithuanian money were demolished or assigned to non-Lithuanian congrega­ tions. When Lithuania redeclared its independence in 1990, a new wave of immigrants came to the U.S. The young emigrants slowly started replacing the old organists and choir leaders, while trying to revive some choirs or start new ones-the hearth of Lithuanian culture. Choral events during the first half of the twentieth century At the begining of the twentieth century, Lithuanians not­ ed that a much greater effect was created when several church choirs sang together. These concerts, which attracted large crowds of people, were the foundation of our current song festi­ vals. One of the first joint choir concerts was held on September 24,1914 in Chicago, when, at the initiative of organist Antanas Pocius, the cantata Broliai (Brothers), by Česlovas Sasnauskas was performed. The successful execution of this complicated work prompted the church choir leaders to participate in other similar events, where hundreds rather than dozens of singers sang. These events often took place within one of the regions of the American Lithuanian Organists Society, because there were no opportunities to collaborate with more distant parishes. For example, during the 1916 War Exhibition in Chicago, along with other nationals, five hundred Lithuanians from twelve Chicago-based choirs (some of them secular) participated in the event. That same year, the Brooklynites also arranged a Lithuanian Day, in which individual choirs participated under the guidance of organists Ksaveras Strumskis, Antanas Kveda­ ras and Stasys Suchodolskis.