"Daina" choir at it its 50th anniversary
Sydney Lithuanian "Daina" choir celebrated its 50th anniversary with a
very successful concert on June 27, 2004, at the Sydney Lithuanian Club. It was under
the baton of the current conductor Birutė Alekna, with many past conductors in attendance
and guest conductors from other Lithuanian choirs in Australia sharing the conducting.
The highly innovative concert program consisted in the main of compositions by Australian
Lithuanian composers, two of whom, Ričardas Bukis and Darius Gakas, are members of the
choir. This is a remarkable achievement for "Daina", as rarely do amateur choirs have two
resident composers among its ranks! The program finished with two powerful works by
Bronius Budriūnas, which provided a fitting and uplifting finale to the concert.
Conductors and distinguished guests at "Daina's" 50th anniversary concert
Distinguished guests at the concert and the celebration dinner that followed included
Mr. Michael Hatton MP - Member for Blaxland, Australian Parliament, Mr. Tony Stewart
MP - Member for Bankstown, NSW Parliament, Mr. Viktoras Šliteris - Honorary Consul General
of Lithuania, Ms. Helen Westwood - Mayor of Bankstown, Mrs. Tiiu Kroll-Simmul - President
of the Joint Baltic Committee of Sydney, Mrs. Lolita Kalėda - President of the Federal
Executive of the Australian Lithuanian Community and Mr. Vytautas Deikus - President of
the Australian Lithuanian Community of Sydney.
All Australian Lithuanians wish "Daina" many more years of inspiring and uplifting songs!
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