Establishmnet and activities of the Union of American Lithuanian organists

XX a. pradžioje į JAV ėmė keliauti vis daugiau muzikinį išsilavinimą turinčių lietuvių. Daugiausia tai buvo vargonininkai, kurie, susibūrę į Amerikos lietuvių vargonininkų sąjungą (ALVS), rūpinosi ne tik bažnytinės, bet ir pasaulietinės muzikos reikalais. Šiame straipsnyje yra apžvelgiama ALVS kūrimosi raida ir įvairiapusė jos veikla.At the beginning of XX C, more and more Lithuanians with some knowledge in the sphere of music emigrated to the USA. They were mostly the organists who, having established the Union of American Lithuanian Organists (the UALO), took care not only of church music but also of secular music. The article aims to give a survey of the establishment of the UALO, of its structure and the field of activities. […] On May 31, 1911, the first convention of Lithuanian organists took place in Baltimore (MD), during which the UALO was established. Its aim was to foster national feelings via hymns and songs, to unify hymn singing in Lithuanian churches, to practice church and secular music, to arrange common concerts, to publish music, to provide organists with support. The UALO was governed by the elected Board. The most deserved organists were granted the title of Honorary member. The organists wanted to attract young people to churches and concert halls. For this reason, during the conventions the delegates discussed the questions of establishment and coordination of youth organizations. The organists would arrange entertainment parties and picnics, in some regions festivals and days of songs started to be held. At the convention of 1932. a special resolution was passed which encouraged the members of the Union to unite young people in choirs, groups of Knights, parish clubs and various circles, to invite talented young people to take up the profession of organist. Organists also inspired the movement of church choirs. When Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union, the organists strove to regain independence by their work, but because of their age and because of the consequences of the WW II, their ranks started decreasing. Never-the-less, vacant positions of organists were taken by new Lithuanian emigrants who came from German DP camps. Until 1954, the conventions of the UALRCO would take place almost every year, later – every second year. The delegates would solve topical problems (e. g., relations between organists and priests, professional questions of organists), would listen to reports. In 1964, it was decided to establish the department of members–supporters, to cooperate with the Governing Body of the Community of American Lithuanians by working up a special programme of studies of Lithuanian philology and also to look for potential organists. In the convention of 1968, the organization was renamed and became the Union of American Lithuanian Roman Catholic organists and other Lithuanian musicians. The corrected Constitution of the Union stated that all Lithuanian musicians regardless of their religion and sex could become members of the organization, while persons having communistic views were not allowed to join it. If some time ago it was required that the members of the organization served the ideas of Catholicism and Lithuanian nationality, since 1968, the organization confined itself to faithfulness to Lithuanian nationality. In 1986, the organists became the minority in the Union, and the organization was named the Union of American Lithuanian Music, while in 1988, it became the Union of the Northern American Lithuanian Music, giving priority to Lithuanian music. Though the last years of the ninth decade the organization was not a numerous one, with the help of its most active members, the Union tried very hard to continue and to foster the work begun by their ancestors