For the first time in Vitebsk, on the eve of the 65th anniversary of Victory Day, a joint Belarusian-Latvian choir will perform.

March 31, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. For the first time in Vitebsk, on the eve of the celebration of the 65th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people over the Nazi invaders, a joint Belarusian-Latvian choir will perform, Valentina Kirillova, director of the "Vitebsk Center for Modern Art" museum, told a BELTA correspondent. The musical project is being prepared by the city folk youth choir of the Vitebsk Center for Modern Art, led by Vitaly Rauzo, the "Daugava" choir of the Daugavpils Center for Latvian Culture, led by Evgeny Ustenkov, and the center's accordion orchestra, conducted by Tatiana Saratova. On May 8, Johannes Brahms' German Requiem will be performed by 70 choristers, a soloist, and the orchestra on the stage of the Yakub Kolas Theater. Musicians and singers have been preparing for the performance of the work, which consists of seven parts and lasts about 80 minutes in total, for a year. Moreover, each group rehearsed in their home country, and the first joint rehearsals took place only on April 26-27. The premiere took place in Daugavpils on April 28. According to Valentina Kirillova, the success was enormous. "Performances of this kind are difficult even for professional artists, as they require significant time and financial investment, but the amateurs coped with this task brilliantly," she believes. The Daugavpils choir "Daugava" will also take part in the festive events that will take place in Vitebsk during the celebration of the 65th anniversary of the Great Victory. -0-