Summary

Kupiškis Valsčiaus folklore ensembles: existing and already non-existing...

Aušra Zabielienė

Kupiškis Valsčius distinguishes itself by many folklore ensembles, which are non-existing now. Thus, it was decided to analyse the main reasons which determined disappearance of even eight folklore teams. The paper deals with five existing and 8 non-existing traditional folklore ensembles.

The existing Kupiškis district folklore teams are as follows: Vijūnytė children folklore company, headed by Alma Pustovaitienė in the Salamiestis basic school; Kupkėmis adult folklore ensemble also headed by Alma Pustovaitienė in the Kupiškis culture centre; Jara adult folklore collective headed by Vaiva Mališauskienė in the Adomynė leisure centre of the Kupiškis District; Sodėlis children folklore ensemble headed by Žydrūnė Rakauskaitė in Alizava basic school; and Sidabrinė Gija company headed by Virginija Ramanauskienė in the Antašava culture house. The five folklore collectives described are involved in actualisation of the olden musical heritage of the district. Their history, conditions of activities, age of members and leaders are different, all they have one general trait–they represent the land of Kupiškis that can rightly be referred to as a cradle of folklore ensembles.

Even eight ensembles discontinued their activities due to several main reasons. One of them disintegrated because the school was closed; so, one of the oldest in Lithuania children folklore ensemble in Virbališkis basic school disappeared. Four ensembles disintegrated because of human factor; their leader and founder Alma Pustovaitienė did not find a successor, and she itself had no possibility to continue working with these collectives. Three more folklore companies, the oldest in the Kupiškis area stopped their activities due to demographic reasons. The old singers and their leaders died or are of very respectable age, while no new members replaced them.