Lietuviškų bažnytinių chorų vertinimo problematika (XIX a. pabaiga – XX a. pradžia)
The evaluation problem of Lithuanian church choirs (the end of the 19th century – the beginning of the 20th century

Summary/Abstract: The article analyses the activity of Lithuanian church choirs, the idea is raised that because of different reasons inadequate stereotypes of their evaluation consolidated in the academic history of music. In the music articles of the period between the wars the social function of the church choirs was made too significant as well as the merits to Lithuanianism. In soviet times the music history of Lithuania was published, which adopted the tradition of socialization from the period between the wars, but it turned the other way: it began to deny the significance of the church, its choir and the clergy in general. This way the „tautologization” of the choirs and soviet ideologization led to the tendentious selection of the facts and their interpretation. Taking all these urgent problems into account the aim of the research was chosen — first, to ground the evaluation methodology of the Lithuanian church choirs (the end of the 19 th century — the beginning of the 20 th century), second, to make a full nominal list till independent Lithuania (1918); third, to correct virtually their set evaluation stereotypes. The object of the research was chosen Lithuanian parish choirs of the Lithuania Roman catholic churches and their activity in the first half of the 20 th century. The methods of the research are the search of statistic data in illegal (till 1904 and illegal (1904–1918) Lithuanian press, the investigation of the documents of St. Grigalius organists society. The area of the research – Lithuanian choirs of Roman Catholic Church, which existed in the territory of Lithuania. The aspect of the choirs research is commonly cultural. The term Lithuanian church choirs appeared at the end of the 19 th century, when the national rebirth movement started and the choirs began to sing in their native language. The beginning of the choirs is linked with singing in Varniai and Seinai seminaries and the work of the progressive young clergy generation, involved in national activity. In the academic history of music the statement consolidated that in the period of the ban on the press (1864–1904) there were about 20 active church choirs, though when a new nominal list was made it turned out that till 1904 there were more of them about 35. When the ban on the press was cancelled and J. Naujalis began to train organists as a tutor, the number of church choirs began to increase very fast. The statistics of the period in the history of music turned out to be not precise. The newest edition “The history of Lithuanian music” (2002) wrote, that around the year 1909 there were 88 active church choirs whereas our nominal list presents even 150. This list gives the short description of the activity of each choir, which lets us state that choirs were really active for the whole decades. It induces new interpretations of the significance of the choirs in the national culture. Choirs were active in towns, villages, the farthest corners of the country.

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