“Pastor Jura Neiken, who started serving in Dikļi parish in 1857, says in his memoirs that when he went to visit his parents in Ārciema parish and drove past the Ārciema parish house, he saw young people gathering. They were preparing for the Bible festival, the pastor stopped to talk and overheard the conversation of two guys about the fact that today they have a singing festival. The combination of words seemed so good and sonorous. When I asked the guys if they would participate in such an event, where there would be only singing, I received an affirmative answer,” says Inita Hihalovska, exhibition guide of the Singing Festival in Diklia.
Juris Neikens studied at the Vidzeme parish teachers’ seminar, also known as the Cimze teachers’ seminar, where great attention was also paid to learning music.
“In conversations with like-minded people, the idea of singing together is present. It is also supported by Rūjiena parish school teacher, organist, choir conductor Ernests Švehs. And so six men’s choirs are assembled. It is thought that in horse-drawn carriages, since it was the fastest way of transportation at that time, choirs gradually arrived in Dikli. They gather in the parish school building, where they agree on the repertoire – what each choir will sing and what – all together. Around noon, the men march in twos with serious faces to the venue of the singing festival.
It now bears the name of Neikenkalns, while the hill where the choirs gathered and the surrounding area are known today as the natural concert hall of Neikenkalns. Here we can see and feel the special atmosphere and landscape that existed 160 years ago – the new concert hall is included in a landscape that has not changed much since the first Singing Festival.”
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Together with six men’s choirs, students – both boys and girls – also participated in the celebration.
“Already 120 men was a large number for that time, it was impossible to gather such a large choir indoors. In addition, Dikli parish had four parishes, each with a school, which Juris Neikens had achieved. Thus, the number of children who participated in the Singing Festival was around 120.
Marking the 75th anniversary of the first Singing Festival in 1939, among the guests of honor was Marija Ozola, who had sung at the first Singing Festival as a child. A photograph has also been preserved, where we see this lady at a very respectable age and in worn-out folk dress.”
The first Singing Festival was also a challenge for its participants.
“Voting took time, it was the first time the choristers met in such a large crowd. Juris Neikens later wrote that songs that sound good in a room require a different approach in nature. The choirs began to sing around noon and continued, according to the memoir, until the torches were lit. At the end of May, at the beginning of June, when the evenings have long been light, it is believed that the Singing Festival sounded shortly before midnight. In addition, it should be taken into account that it was the middle of the week, the next was a working day, despite the fact that most of the night was probably spent on the way home.”
However, this did not diminish the joy of singing and meeting. Spectators were also thought of – tents were pitched for shelter in case of rain, and the local owners had prepared pretzels and a small town.
“I think it was a special event not only for the choristers, but for everyone present. Under the leadership of chief conductor Ernests Švech, “God is our strong castle” was also played, as well as, as read in the memoir, country songs, which are most likely versions of folk songs. The importance of the continuation of the festival is also shown – the following year, at the initiative of Jura Neiken, the Singing Festival was held in Bauņi Jēkab hill (Valmiera county, Matīšu parish), and in 1866, choirs gathered in Rūjiena. In 1873, the men of the Dikli Choir went to the 1st General Latvian Song Festival in Riga, which is confirmed by the photo, where the choristers are immortalized together with the choir’s flag.”
Juris Neikens has served ten of the most productive years of his life in Diklia.
“His parents belonged to the people of Hernhut, which means that reading and writing skills were already taught in the family. As an excellent pastor and speaker of sermons, he was called to serve in various congregations, including wealthy congregations in Riga, but it was important for Yuri Neiken to serve his people – in Dikļi congregation and in the last year of his life in his native congregation in Umurga. While serving, he also started a literary activity, writing realistic stories based on what he saw in his congregation. They were about important events in people’s lives, lessons to be learned.
He also published the newspaper “Ceļa Biedris”, where you can also read the pastor’s memories of the first Singing Festival. Juris Neikens was not only a talented master of words, but also knew how to draw beautifully, in one work of art we can also see St. Valmiera. Simon’s Church.”
