{"product_id":"baltic-songs-of-freedom-guntis-smidchens-9780295755748","title":"Baltic Songs of Freedom: Musical Tradition and National Identity in the Twenty-First Century","description":"\u003cp\u003eAcross Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, vast choirs regularly gather to sing before audiences numbering in the tens of thousands. These extraordinary national song celebrations are more than cultural festivals. They are living expressions of identity, solidarity, and democratic resilience. \u003ci\u003eBaltic Songs of Freedom\u003c\/i\u003e explores how these choral traditions continue to shape political and cultural life in the decades following the collapse of Soviet rule.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDrawing on a carefully curated collection of translated song texts, Guntis Smidchens traces how music connects past struggles for independence with contemporary challenges. Traditional folk songs, patriotic hymns, modern choral works, and popular songs together illuminate the hopes, fears, and aspirations of three nations situated on Europe's geopolitical frontier. In the Baltic states, singing has long served as a vehicle for collective memory and civic belonging, linking communities across generations and borders.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe book situates these songs within the broader historical and political landscape of the twenty-first century, including renewed tensions with Russia, the expansion of digital media, and the continued evolution of democratic culture. Through performances at national festivals, global choir gatherings, and community rehearsals, singing traditions continue to nurture friendship, courage, and national self-understanding.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBlending cultural history and analysis with participant observation, \u003ci\u003eBaltic Songs of Freedom\u003c\/i\u003e reveals how music sustains these small nations in an era of renewed imperial conflict--demonstrating that the power of song remains a vital force in Baltic public life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Guntis Smidchens\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0295755741\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780295755748\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Washington Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/02\/2027\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback","brand":"Guntis Smidchens","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48623640936703,"sku":"9780295755748","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/baltic-songs-of-freedom-guntis-smidchens-9780295755748","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}