Lithuania

What a wonderful trip with my good friend Terl Bryant. He had been invited to play drums at an event in Lithuania and he asked me to join him in the adventure! I am always excited when visiting somewhere I haven’t been before but this time it started off quietly as I was met at Vilnius airport by a very kind gentleman, Josef, apparently the Archbishop’s driver who didn’t speak any English! It’s amazing how much sign language helped making myself understood as we drove to Kaunas! On arrival I met Rasto (Rastislav) and Peter (both Slovak priests) and Vaida (a Lithuanian who was directing the event), who invited Terl and I to a wonderful salmon meal. Conversations kept us up until 1am and the Lithuanian schnapps helped the occasion! A very hospitable start.

The following morning, it was snowing in the beautiful old town square. Although an early start, after the night before, the snow made everything even more wonderful. The austere buildings looking extremely grand against the bleach white streets. We were heading to play some rhythms and to be interviewed @ Radio Maria, a Catholic radio station in the centre of town. The presenter was intrigued with our stories of rhythm and how the drum had played a significant part in our journey of faith. Our reward – breakfast @ Choclateria and yes, it was as good as it sounds! Another short phone interview was accomplished between mouthfuls of croissant and chocolates!

Later, in the evening 50 people gathered for a rhythm and prayer event, something very new for many of the people who attended. Laura who was a friend of Catherine from the Northumbria Community, had come up from the coast by bus, a trip of 4 hours! She had little understanding of how drums could stimulate prayer but was very moved by the experience, explaining how deeply the rhythms and sounds had touched her being.

I am always fascinated by the history of a place and I discovered that during medieval times, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania stretched from the Baltic to the Black Seas, making it the largest state in Europe. In 1795, the country’s alliance with Poland came to an end after more than 200 years as partners, after which most of Lithuania became part of the Russian Empire. This continued until a period of German occupation during World War I. In 1918, the Council of Lithuania unanimously adopted the Act of Independence, a document proclaiming the nation as a sovereign democratic state with Vilnius as its capital.

In 1882, a fortress was built in Kaunas which later received the name the Ninth Fort. Sadly, this structure of defence for the city later became a centre for the mass destruction of the Jewish people during World War II. On a bitterly cold and grey day, we visited Ninth Fort, the austere dank building and the weather brought home the stark nature and true brutality of this prison’s history. This was a quote outside one of the many cells “The October of 1941 was exceptional in the scope of mass murder: on October 4, 1,845 Jews and on October 29 – 9,200 Jews were killed. Before this, never in history such a large number of people in one day were killed in Lithuania.”  May history remind us, to remember, lest we forget.

The main event we had been invited out for was called ‘Sirdies Ritmus’ (Heartbeat Rhythm) and was held on Valentine’s Day. It was a public cultural event hosted by the Catholic church and Terl and myself were part of a wonderful line up which also featured Kristina and Rimantas Žaldokai, Nerijus and Milda Sadauskai, the duo ‘White Crows’ Milda and Theresa and the amazing Saulius Petreikis. The event has run for a number years and brings together lots of different expressions from all over Lithuania. For many, seeing just two drummers on stage was quite unique. The newspaper summed it up the next day, “Guests from England – percussion and drum virtuosos Terl Bryant and Martin Neil – not only played the music themselves, but also turned the audience into an instrument becoming a Percussion Orchestra.”

We met many wonderful people during the event, but what will stick in my mind is a quote from an 80-year old Bishop who had spent 10 years in the Siberian gulags. I said to him that I had heard he had an amazing story. He answered, “On reflection, it was a gift.” This was said with love in his eyes, and no hint of anger. With men like this leading the Catholic church, I believe there is incredible hope for the future of this beautiful country.