Opening concert for the 40th anniversary of the men’s choir FRA-CHO-RI

The men’s choir “FRA-CHO-RI” invites you to two concerts marking the 40th anniversary of its musical activity, to be held at the “Mazā ģilde” (Small Guild) in Riga, located at Amatu Street 5. Since its founding in 1986, the choir has grown into one of the pillars of the Latvian men’s choir movement. The name “FRA-CHO-RI” is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase *Fraternitas Chori Rigensis*, which translates to “Choir Brotherhood of Riga.” This is fitting, as for forty seasons the choir has been based within the premises of Riga’s historic craft guild—a site now known as the “Mazā ģilde” Cultural and Folk Art Centre.
The first anniversary concert, titled “Classics” and taking place on October 25, will feature sacred music by Western European composers, Italian and Spanish songs accompanied by guitar, as well as the introduction to Giuseppe Verdi’s opera *A Masked Ball* (*Un ballo in maschera*) and a chorus from Richard Wagner’s *Tannhäuser*—a piece frequently performed by the choir during its early years. The concert will feature soloist Guntars Ruņģis of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet, alongside pianist Māris Žagars and guitarist Jānis Ruņģis.
The second anniversary concert, titled “New Creations” and scheduled for November 21, will showcase arrangements of Latvian folk songs and a diverse selection of original works by Latvian composers. Alongside songs by Emīls Dārziņš, Raimonds Pauls, Valters Kaminskis, Laura Jākobsone, Artis Kronbergs, and Mārtiņš Brauns, the program will feature original compositions and folk song arrangements created by the choir’s past and present members and directors. The featured composers include Ingus Leilands, Andrejs Mūrnieks, Guntars Ruņģis, Jānis Ruņģis, Jānis Rībens, Viktors Pizāns, Fridrihs Geidmanis, Aldis Pūtelis, and Ēriks Eglītis. The concert on November 21 will be enriched by soloist Annija Putniņa and an instrumental ensemble—comprising choir members performing rock-style accompaniments—as well as soloist Jānis Rībens, bass guitarist Edmunds Andersons, and percussionist Ikars Ruņģis from the band “Pērkons.”
At both anniversary concerts, FRACHORI will be joined by the choir’s vocal coach, Guntars Ruņģis—a soloist at the Latvian National Opera—who will lend his voice to the performances. The concerts will also feature solo contributions from members of the choir. Pianist Māris Žagars and guitarist Jānis Ruņģis will perform at both events.
The choir was founded by conductor, educator, and cultural researcher Andrejs Mūrnieks, who has also served as a chief conductor at two General Latvian Song Festivals. The choir’s current artistic director is Ingus Leilands, who has created several new arrangements for these concerts and has composed numerous settings of folk songs. Over the past 40 years, the choir’s vocal sound has been cultivated by its vocal coach, Guntars Ruņģis, a soloist with the Latvian National Opera and Ballet.
Admission is free.
The concert is organized by the Cultural and Folk Art Centre “Mazā ģilde” with the support of the Riga Municipality.