The King’s Daughter’s Dream: Melodies of the Peoples of Old Europe

On February 13, we invite you on a musical journey through old Europe!

For the program “Melodies of the Nations of Old Europe,” singer Renata Dubinskaitė has gathered the most beautiful melodies of the Spanish, Portuguese, Sephardic (Spanish Jews), French, Italian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Lithuanian, German, Norwegian, English, Irish, and other nations—folk songs or works by unknown authors closely akin to folk music. The concert begins with the oldest surviving melody, carved into stone during the era of Ancient Greece. Other songs were transcribed and included in musical collections published between the 16th and 18th centuries, though many have endured by being passed down by word of mouth, from generation to generation. Having survived the centuries, some of these songs have transcended geographical borders and are now widely known across Europe.

This concert is a musical journey across the old continent, exploring the distinct melodies of different nations alongside the stories of love and war, life’s joys and hardships, and faith, carried within these songs. Throughout the program, early and folk music is interpreted by weaving together different styles. Performing alongside R. Dubinskaitė is classical guitarist, composer, and vocalist Chris Ruebens (Belgium / Lithuania), who has arranged the songs, while Remis Rančys (saxophones, flutes, melodica, percussion) will enrich the performance with jazz improvisations.