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BUDĒLĪŠA ZIEMASSVĒTKI ("A Mummer's Christmas")
A Christmas cantata based on twelve Latvian folksongs composed by Krisīte Skare.

Latvians have an ancient and joyous winter tradition of mummery, when countryfolk don nature-inspired costumes and travel in merry bands from homestead to homestead singing, dancing, eating, and drinking to drive the chill of the season away and, especially at Yuletide, to bless each home with a bountiful and fertile new year.

Mummers go by many names in Latvian - budēlīši, čigāni, and ķekatas are a few of the regional monikers for these mischief makers. This piece, “A Mummer's Christmas” tells the imaginary story of a mummer's Christmastime evening long ago. We begin with a pair of mummers traveling the dark, lonely land at night, wondering where the road will lead them ("Čigāniņi, nabadziņi”). They meet up with a rollicking band of neighbors that sing of their joy at the arrival of Christmastime as they journey together to the evening’s homestead ("Kas pie Rīgas dumpējās?”). At the gate they implore the mistress of the house to let them in with a traditional song praising her kindness and beautiful home ("Ai, nama māmiņa”).

Once inside, warm and dry, the women gather to sing a blessing imploring God to come in from the cold and join them by the hearth and table ("Dedzit skolu, pyutit guni”). The men conjure up a mystical scene with an incantation for the North Wind to cover the land in a blanket of thick, protective snow ("Pūti, pūti ziemelīti”).

After singing for their supper, the mummers enjoy a feast ("Labvakaru, saimeniece”) and continue the evening with more storytelling through song. The young girls of the house tell of a wolf who needs woolen socks knit for him ("Adat, meitas, ko adat”), and the mummers sing about the traditions of yuletide, from whipping friends with leafy branches for good health and longevity to dancing so that farm animals will be sprightly in the upcoming year ("Būdelīti, tēvainīti”).

The young men visiting weave a magical fantasy with a song about shoeing a horse with silver horseshoes and diamond nails in order to scale an ice mountain - for love, of course ("Meitu mātes istabiņa”). A young girl looks out the window into the dark, foggy forest and remembers the old legend that gloomy winter mist is caused by the tears of a mourning cat ("Kaķīšami bērns nomira”).

Having imbibed heartily all evening, the mummers sing a drinking song meant to test one’s mettle - if the nonsense syllables can be sung clearly, all is well ("Čigāniņa dēliņš biju”). To end a merry and cozy evening together with friends, everyone joins together to welcome long-awaited Christmastime ("Nākat iekšā, Ziemassvētki”).