Bārbele Community Centre Marks 100th Anniversary with Concert
The Bārbele community centre in Bauska municipality closed its centenary celebrations on Saturday, 24 October, before a full hall. The event honoured amateur groups and the people who look after the building.
The community centre in Bārbele, in Latvia's Bauska municipality, held the closing event of its 100th anniversary celebrations on Saturday, 24 October. Titled "Gaisma, kas neizdziest" (The Light That Does Not Go Out), the evening drew a full hall of locals and guests. The building opened in 1926 as the house of the society "Tīrums" and has since become an important centre of local cultural and community life.
The centenary was marked this year through a series of events called "Saknes. Stāsti. Gaisma" (Roots. Stories. Light), and this concert was its final part. The programme featured music of different eras and genres performed by professional musicians, interspersed with words of thanks and recollections about the people who shape the centre's life today and look to its future.
Opening wish and thanks
The celebration began with the song "Es tevi gaidīšu" by composer R. Pauls, performed by singer Sabīne Krilova-Šmite, pianist Madara Kalniņa, flautist Egija Sproģe, cellist Elīza Petrenko and percussionist Uģis Upenieks.
Centre manager Dace Klipa recalled a wish voiced at the opening in 1926, at Pentecost: "Just do not tire in the future either!" She thanked all those who came before – the builders, the caretakers and the members of amateur ensembles – and stressed that history is made not only by big events on stage but also by daily work and care.
Seven amateur art groups currently work at the centre, and they received thanks and commendations for their contribution to cultural life in Bārbele and the municipality. Thanks also went to people behind the scenes: Santa Bračka, head of the Bārbele parish office; technical staff Ints and Vija Kļaviņš and Jānis Brazauskis; and cleaner Inga Kļaviņa.
Greetings from neighbouring parishes
Cultural workers from Misa village and the Vecumnieki and Stelpe parishes came to congratulate the centre and its manager. Dace Šileika, head of the Vecumnieki area administration, said the Bārbele community centre is one of the best in the municipality.
More about the event will appear in the newspaper Bauskas Dzīve on Tuesday, 27 October.
