International Music Day 2011

The rain stopped completely today. We could have our long waited for international day of music together with friends from England and Norway outdoors on our new nice open air stage.

See some speedily published photos here. Author for all of them - Terēze Neliusa

Con Brio choir and the Westwood String Quarted conducted by choir's leader Shirley Smith

The Westwood String Quartet has expanded by one for the Latvia tour
Kokle quartet from Riga
"Vēja meitenes" (The Wind Girls) from the neighboring Misa
Senior citizens' choir led by Māra Lagzdiņa
Hanne Marie Ruud (Norway) sang Solveig's Song and a song-prayer in Latvian
Spectators - participants
Youth dance group from the neighboring Barbele "Rakari" (The Rascals)
A few of the "Rascals"

The final event - Skaistkalne Brass Orchestra under the leadership of Jānis Kalniņš
Gladioli exhibition set up by our famous selectionists Ilga and Visvaldis Viņķelis

Festival Ligo (Līgo vakars) in Stelpe

Festival Ligo (Līgo vakars) and the following St. John's Day (Jāņi) is a national holiday and widely celebrated event all over Latvia. Traditionally, it is a coming together some place where there is a man by name Jānis. Everyone greets Jānis with oak leave crowns. A popular combination traditionally is cheese and beer, but nowadays, unfortunately, a lot of all kind alcohol is being consumed, too.

The important woman of the festival is Līga. Līga gets crowns made of all kinds of field flowers and plants.

If there is no Jānis or Līga available, it does not stop the party. If someone is a son or daughter of Jānis or Līga, or any other type of relation, then it is as good. But even if there is nobody even close, the party still goes on. Then the reason for the celebration just gets generalized.

This year, an extensive celebration of Ligo was organized in the new open air stage in Stelpe. There was a concert not only by Stelpe own amateur singers, dancers and actors but also performances and attractions by creative people from the neighboring communities Vecsaule, Barbele, Kurmene.

Here you can watch a very short video from the theater performed by Stelpe troupe where a gypsy woman played by the head teacher of Stelpe School Dagmāra Venclova gives a good splash to her mischievous man played by Jānis Klāviņš.



Stelpe people gathered on the open air stage site to celebrate Ligo:


Guests from a neighboring community:Young people enjoy themselves:

Young children can see the scene best from the basement walls of the old culture house:Scene from theater: (from left) Servant - Sarmīte Jukone, Baroness - Agita Šķiliņa
Scene from theater: (from left) Gypsy man - Jānis Klāviņš, Baron - Valdis Rusiņš, Servant - Agnis Švarcbahs
Stage manager Lilita Berliņa says thank you to the troupe for the enthusiastic performance

First Spring Like Day In Stelpe

The sky is blue and the sun is shining brightly. There is still a little snow along the forest road, and a little still remaining from the large drifts in front of our door. But it seems that today they will be gone too.

I went out with my camera, and will be posting some pictures from the vicinity here. We are so used to living in this place that we seldom notice how beautiful views some angles can show us.

It is my nameday today, and I have already received a lot of greetings. Thank you.

See you within a while. Now I have to get back to my work. This is, by the way, my fifth year that I work for Software Innovation in Norway. It makes me feel great that I now know more or less what I am doing and what needs to be done. I remember the days when I began. It was just a deep ocean of strange and even a bit scary things. Through the selfless assistance of my boss and friend Geir Hansen, and hours and hours of learning I feel now comfortable with my work. All things seem to be too large in the beginning. But keep just pushing on and never give up.

Health Day In Vecumnieki

We had a wonderful day for snow fun on a hill close to Vecumnieki with music and barbecue. Most heartfelt thanks to Ivars Sproģis, the coordinator of sports activities for Vecumnieki and Stelpe.

Being really considerate to the smallest detail, Ivars had managed to make this day really enjoyable for many children and their parents, the whole families, in fact. Owing to him, a coach was arranged for Stelpians enabling this way quite a big group of us to take part in the activity.

Independence Day And Final Soros Party

By a more or less planned coincidence, this year's Independence Day of Latvia was celebrated together with the final party of the project "Being Together" funded by Soros Foundation Latvia.

It started with a concert of a men's trio Bar-Ten-Base under the leadership of Arturs Mangulis, a well-known singer, actor and composer. One of the songs can be watched here:



Even though I cannot believe it's me, together with three beautiful ladies from the English Club, I sang Massachusets!

The names of those ladies are Līga Jankovska, Daiga Ņikiforova, Diāna Gerika.

Watch the video:

War Heroes Remembrance Day (Lāčplēša diena)

Today Latvia celebrates the Remembrance Day of War Heroes (Lāčplēša diena). In Stelpe, people went on a torch parade. One stream came from Nīzere and the other - from the center of Stelpe, flowing together into the school alley and finishing their walk by the newly built fireplace near Stelpe School.

10 Righteous Men Needed For Latvia

We had a short meeting there. An addressing speech was made by teacher and patriotic activities activist Ingus Pavinkšnis. He mentioned that Latvians, having taken back their independent country, may not always know how to rule it. We have had too little time to learn. Yet the Destiny does not offer us any other dates - our freedom is here and now, and each and every person has their responsibility for its growth and strength.

"A corrupt government is not the Nation. It is us who make the Nation," said Ingus Pavinkšnis. He referred to the Bible story about the City of Sodom. God promised to spare the city if there were 10 righteous men to be found. Ingus reminded us to ask ourselves a question if I myself could be one of those 10 men whom God needs to spare our nation.

Mediterranian Men Sing Latvian Patriotic Song

Then we all went upstairs to the school hall where there was a concert. Together with us were volunteer workers Simone Cocco from Sardinia, the Italian island, and Christian Torres Esquitino from Spain. The two young men sang a Latvian song about soldiers taking farewell from their loved ones before going to battle "Two Doves Flew Up High" (Div' dūjiņas gaisā skrēja). I was so surprised and fascinated that I even forgot to snap a video.

Amateur singers group led by Kristine Rulle (with guitar). (Background: Simone Cocco - 3rd from right; Christian Torres Esquitino - 1st from right) See also video below.

Violinist Dace Rozenberga (Tereze's violin teacher) and Līga Karpinska
Guest from neighboring Barbele, the young saxophonist Eduards Lācis and Sintija Kuzma (see also video below)

Video Glimpses

Here you have a few video moments of the Remembrance Day 2010 (Lāčplēša diena 2010) in Stelpe School (Stelpes skola):

A song performed by amateur singers' group led by Kristīne Rulle "I Saw My Brother On Horseback Dressed In Armour" (Es redzēju bāleliņu).



Terēze Neliusa plays violin for the Remebrance Day guests. Accompanist - Līga Karpinska.



Young saxophonist Eduards Lācis accompanied by Sintija Kuzma.

Mary Stuart - A Play Of Strength, Passion and Love

On Sunday, Sandra and me together with more than 20 other Stelpians went by bus to Riga to see this play by Friedrich Schiller staged in Latvian theater The Daile (Dailes teātris).

The steel-hard queens get suddenly weak when confronted with ... human love.

A real dilemma is that of Queen Elisabeth when she has to decide whether or not to execute Mary Stuart who is not only a dethroned Scottish queen, dangerous even in imprisonment, bound to stir up a bloodshed for thousands if released, but she is also the half sister of Queen Elisabeth. More to that, the execution could dramatically impair the people's support to the ruling queen since she risks to appear revengeful and miserable.

Elisabeth backs out but her loyal noblemen still get the Scottish queen executed.

But the story is much more complex and colorful than just the dilemma and the execution.

The Daile actors show us with great skill how being executed can be a triumph in the same time, how failing to decide may be at times the wisest decision of all, and how weak can those rock-hard ladies become when they fall in Love.

A fantastic, unforgettable staging. We notice that such appear on the scenes in times when the nation has sufferings. When the times get better and the average Latvian is comparatively well-off, the theater stagings get ... shallow.

But this is a fantastic piece. We actually could not come back to ourselves even the whole next day.

It felt so warm in our heart to see our dear Olga Dreģe playing the servant of Scottish Mary. We still breathe with that deep emotion she gave us when visiting our school on the Poetry Afternoon. After having met her face to face here, it felt different to see her on the big stage of the Daile.

Visit the Mary Stuart page at the Daile site. It is in Latvian though, but there are pictures and even a video.

Mozart Music And Coffee Aroma

Līga Karpinska is a musician, music teacher and a business level coffee and tea expert. Yesterday she had come to Stelpe with a real tea and coffee show. In the candlelight, she played Mozart to Stelpians and spoke about tea and coffee brands, and the finesses of preparation.
Did you know that you must not pour boiling water on teabags and soak them more than 5 minutes? The healthy stuff turns into something harmful if you do.
And, did you know by the way, that if you take a cup of coffee right before the sleep, you will sleep better? But you can lose your sleep if you drink coffee excessively throughout the day?

These and many more secrets Līga revealed for us in this special afternoon.
2 days later: The smell of coffee can still be felt in the hall and adjacent corridors.

Pensioners Visit Riga Zoo And Tree Nursery in Baltezers

On Friday, 30+ Stelpe pensioners went on a tour sponsored by Vecumnieki District Board (Vecumnieku novada Dome). They visited Riga Zoo (Rīgas Zooloģiskais dārzs), Baltezers Tree Nursery (Baltezera kokaudzētava) and did some shopping on their way back to Stelpe.

Poetry Evening "When Heart From Love Breaks"

Picture: Olga Dreģe (center), the megastar of the Latvian theater, together with those having contributed to the content of the Poetry Evening.
Second line from left: Mārīte Kviešone, Nijole Ķerūde, Valentīna Rūtiņa
First line from left: Sandra Neliusa, Aleksandra Hadžimoratova, Olga Dreģe, Māra Lagzdiņa, Līga Karpinska

Olga Dreģe is by all means one of the brightest ever Latvian theater stars. For many decades, she has been enjoying love from all the nation having played several hundred roles in theater the Daile. She has featured also a few outstanding movie characters.

But this evening (October 8) she was visiting Stelpe School. Using poems of one of the most celebrated Latvian poetess Ārija Elksne, Olga led us on a delicate path of the deeper values of everybody's soul. She spoke a lot about a Home in the broader sense of this word, and the love for Latvia as our homeland. The professionalism and the true emotion she was putting into what she was saying, made tears appear in the eyes of nearly everyone.

The intimate air and deep emotional poetry was reinforced by wonderful music played by pianist Līga Karpinska and cellist Māra Lagzdiņa. These two ladies already start feeling at home in Stelpe since they are quite frequent guests on different occasions.

Unusual European Cultural Heritage - The Sacred Oak Of Kunki

The blue flag of the European Cultural Heritage was waving today over this place in Stelpe Forest. Stelpians are making an attempt to set a new tradition of celebrating the Europe day in connection with the already traditional Day of Poetry.


The host of the celebration Inta Groskaufmane (foreground left in the picture) who now lives in Limbaži, has taken upon herself the responsibility for calling the people together on a Saturday in September. She told briefly the history of this place having served both as a pre-Christian and Christian worship site, but also having been a center for different cultural and even sports activities. This place could arguably be considered the origin of the ice-hockey game since different sources mention a game of sending a wooden disc into a goal with a club. Competitions of such a game have been held here as long ago as 17th century.

The ethnographic ensemble "Laukam pāri" (Accross the Field) had come for the second time already to color the event with some ancient melodies sung and played on ancient instruments. Māris Braže, a member of the group, is a metal master. He makes ancient Latvian bijouterie, and last year he had taken with him a little exhibition. This year he presented an oak-wood bugle producing a really impressive sound that echoed long in the forest. This bugle was made by Mr. Braže himself. When asked from where the idea and the know-how came, he answered that it was like something from above that he saw like a vision. The bugle when seen and, especially when heard, leaves no doubt that this man has made it with great insight and skill, and not everyone could compete with him in building this type of instrument.
Also our boys Karlis Elmer and Dag were present there, listened to the stories , watched the concert and participated in the games. In the picture, you can see them sitting on a branch of the ancient oak that has now come down and lies on the ground. A new oak has been planted on the site to mark this place as a little special one. In the lower part of the picture, you can see the Mr. Braže's bugle.
In the end, all the spectators were invited to join the dancing and games.

Stelpe Open Air Stage - Officially Opened And Consecrated

Saturday, September 4, there was the official opening of the newly built open air stage in Stelpe. The leaderships of all the communities of District Vecumnieki were present in order to congratulate stelpians with this important day.

Picture: Stelpe dancers in action on the newly opened stage
In the beginning of 90-ties, by a short-sighted decision of the then Board, Stelpe Culture House was torn down even though it was still in quite good condition. Then came the time of the major inflation with currencies changing, and nothing was built in the place. The chair of Stelpe local administration Elmārs Jukonis says that he has been often hearing the opinion of the villagers that a place for gathering and activities is needed here.

The chair of the Board of District Vecumnieki (Vecumnieku novada Dome) Rihards Melgailis opens the stage by cutting a symbolic ribbon

Minister of Vecumnieki church (Vecumnieku baznīca) Juris Morics consecrates the stage in the name of Father, Son and the Holy Ghost.
The first performance on our stage - a song by teachers and dedicated amateur artists Iveta Grantiņa and Inese Freiberga
The author of the grant application for the construction of the stage, Kristīne Rulle (with guitar) and her helpers Inga Polika (foreground left) and Karīna Dzenīte singing a three-voice version of a popular song.
View on the spectator seats
Skaistkalne Brass Orchestra (Skaistkalnes pūtēju orķestris) under the conduct of Jānis Kalniņš, a dedicated musician and member of Vecumnieki District Board (Vecumnieku novada Dome).
Stelpe theater performed a comedy Trīnes Grēki (Trine the Mischief Maker) by Latvian classic playwright Rudolfs Blaumanis. The head teacher of Stelpe School (Stelpes skola) Dagmāra Venclova as Trine, and Jānis Klāviņš as Abram the Jew.
After the concert and theater, there was a dancing party until 2 A.M.