Music on Thursdays
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Thursday 7 May 2026
12.30 lunchtime
Venue: Leatherhead Methodist Church KT22 8AY
Parking: Swan Centre multi storey KT22 7RH
Emilija Karaliute
kanklės (Lithuanian folk zither)
Programme
Alfonsas Mikulskis (1909-1983)
Girios idilija - Lietuvos giružė
Idyll of the Forest - Lithuanian Forest (III parts)
Valentinas Bagdonas (1929-2009)
The Dawn is Breaking
Juozas Naujalis (1869-1934)
Lietuva brangi Dear Lithuania
Jonas Švedas (1908-1971)
Prelude in C Major
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847)
from Six Songs for voice and piano, Op 34 (1834–37)
2 On Wings of Song
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (1858-1924)
from Act 2 of the Opera ''La Boheme'' (1896)
Musetta's Waltz - Quando me'n vo' When I go along
Achille-Claude Debussy (1862-1924)
La Fille Aux Cheveux de Lin (1881) The girl with the flaxen hair
Takatsugu Muramatsu (b1978)
Land 《境地》(2002)
Concert duration approx: 45+ minutes
Please donate to help fund these concerts at: cafdonate.cafonline.org/14455
Alfonsas Mikulskis (1909-1983)
Girios idilija - Lietuvos giružė
Idyll of the Forest - Lithuanian Forest (III parts)
Valentinas Bagdonas (1929-2009)
The Dawn is Breaking
Juozas Naujalis (1869-1934)
Lietuva brangi Dear Lithuania
Jonas Švedas (1908-1971)
Prelude in C Major
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847)
from Six Songs for voice and piano, Op 34 (1834–37)
2 On Wings of Song
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (1858-1924)
from Act 2 of the Opera ''La Boheme'' (1896)
Musetta's Waltz - Quando me'n vo' When I go along
Achille-Claude Debussy (1862-1924)
La Fille Aux Cheveux de Lin (1881) The girl with the flaxen hair
Takatsugu Muramatsu (b1978)
Land 《境地》(2002)
Concert duration approx: 45+ minutes
Please donate to help fund these concerts at: cafdonate.cafonline.org/14455
It can be tricky trying to describe an instrument none of has experienced. So here is a picture of ladies playing kanklės, en masse, as folk instruments are often played.
On the first row of the instruments (that we can actually see) you will be able to observe a curved shape on two of the kanklės. It is more obvious in the following picture of Emilija Karaliute below.
This is clearly a form of zither. We are offered eight more words for it on wikipedia: kankliai, kunkliai, kunklaliai, kanklos, kanklys, kanklus, kunkl, kankalai, along with the names of other instruments of the "plucked strings" or chordophone type: kokles, kannel, kantele, gusli, zither, psaltery, dulcimer. Those last three are words we may have heard, without quite realising that psaltery and dulcimer were part of the zither family.
On the first row of the instruments (that we can actually see) you will be able to observe a curved shape on two of the kanklės. It is more obvious in the following picture of Emilija Karaliute below.
This is clearly a form of zither. We are offered eight more words for it on wikipedia: kankliai, kunkliai, kunklaliai, kanklos, kanklys, kanklus, kunkl, kankalai, along with the names of other instruments of the "plucked strings" or chordophone type: kokles, kannel, kantele, gusli, zither, psaltery, dulcimer. Those last three are words we may have heard, without quite realising that psaltery and dulcimer were part of the zither family.
Emilija Karaliute
Emilija Karaliute is a professional classical and folk musician who began studying the kanklės in Lithuania from an early age, developing a deep connection to the instrument and its cultural roots. She has been playing the kanklės for 16 years and has been awarded the title of the National Laureate of Lithuania twice.
The kanklės is the Lithuanian National instrument, which remains relatively unknown to many. Emilija is passionate about sharing the kanklės with new audiences, promoting the diversity of Lithuanian culture.
Now a regular performer in the UK, with her recent solo shows in Paris and Berlin, Emilija continues to engage audiences with her ability to integrate the kanklės into diverse genres, including classical, contemporary, and folk music.
Recordings of the works in today's concert
Alfonsas Mikulskis (1909-1983)
Girios idilija - Lietuvos giružė
Idyll of the Forest - Lithuanian Forest (III parts) [5:00]
The kanklės player here is Aistė Bružaitė:
Girios idilija - Lietuvos giružė
Idyll of the Forest - Lithuanian Forest (III parts) [5:00]
The kanklės player here is Aistė Bružaitė:
Valentinas Bagdonas (1929-2009)
The Dawn is Breaking
Unable to find this work, we offer you instead another piece by Bagdonas. This is Liaudena, which translates to English as Laudena, a girls' name related to terms like praise and joy. The piano accordion player here is Vytenis Danielius:
Juozas Naujalis (1869-1934)
Lietuva brangi Dear Lithuania
In what seems to be a national hymn, we hear the Symphony orchestra and mixed choir of the State Musical Theatre of the city of Klaipėda, conducted by Vladimiras Konstantinovas. The beautiful church is Klaipėda St Francis of Assisi Monastery Chapel, Lithuania.
Jonas Švedas (1908-1971)
Preludias Prelude in C Major
We nearly thought there were several preludes on this recording. In fact, Preludias is singular amnd this piece is quite pretty despite the unassuming title.
On kanklės we hear Sonata Zavadskytė, Gintarė Želvytė, and Lauryna Labutytė. Together they are the Valstybinis ansamblis LIETUVA or the Lithuania State ensemble:
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847)
from Six Songs for voice and piano, Op 34 (1834–37)
2 On Wings of Song
More plucked strings here as we hear four harpists play Carlos Salzedo's arrangement of On Wings of Song. The harpists are: First Harp, Xingni Xiao and Bailey Mason with, on Second Harp, Mayetta Im and Annie Lehman:
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (1858-1924)
from Act 2 of the Opera ''La Boheme'' (1896)
Musetta's Waltz - Quando me'n vo' When I go along
Time for an advert: Puccini’s music and Richard Jones’s production capture the joy and heartache of young love in Paris. Simona Mihai sings Musetta's famous waltz from Puccini's La bohème. Richard Jones’ production of Puccini's La bohème will be performed at the Royal Opera House 1–25 July 2026.
Achille-Claude Debussy (1862-1924)
La Fille Aux Cheveux de Lin (1881)
The girl with the flaxen hair
Recorded at the Tonhalle, St Gallen, Switzerland, here are Gianluca Campo, flute, and Daphné Coullet Lehmann, harp:
Takatsugu Muramatsu (b1978)
Land 《境地》(2002)
Land 《境地》for Marimba solo (2002) performed here by marimba player Albert Lau - the work was written for solo marimba. The title, Land, always seems to be shown in larger type than the rest on any page.
Next concert
14 May 2026 - Jacob Jordan, clarinet, Edward Harris-Brown, piano, from the Royal Academy of Music click here
Previous concert
30 April 2026 - Jonasz Szachtmajer • violin, Emanuil Ivanov • piano - click here
