Sutartinės are ancient chants thought to have been associated with pagan rituals as well as daily life and work in Lithuania. They are generally multipart vocal or instrumental songs with close harmonies inspired by the buzzing of bees and the trumpeting of swans. Folklorist Zenonas Slaviūnas collected hundreds of examples from men and women during a revival of the tradition, and he published his collections in 1937. In 2010, the tradition of sutartinė was given Intangible Heritage status by UNESCO. As folk musicians, Jurgita and Matti strive to maintain the living tradition by studying the style in both a historical and contemporary context.
Matti spent his childhood summers on Manitoulin Island, and many days were spent cutting firewood and timbers from the woodlot of the farm his family owned.
The woodlot is perched at the top of the Niagara escarpment that runs along the island’s north shore. For this project, Matti and Jurgita found several cedars and other trees hidden in parts of the escarpment where Matti had never been.
The number of charred cedar stumps was surprising. Further research revealed that a huge fire spread across most of Manitoulin in 1888, drastically changing the landscape and ecology of the island. The cedars are the only relic remaining from the fire as the forest regenerated around them. Over the years, many of these stumps have been used for firewood in all but the most inaccessible areas of the escarpment.
Cedars are incredibly resistant to rot, so they are ideal for constructing treeharps. The tree must be hollow enough to resonate well, but strong enough to hold the strings. After measuring each tree, the number of strings and their tension are worked out mathematically. A hot sauna and a swim in Lake Huron are the reward for a long day’s work.
Back home in Toronto, Matti focused on sound editing, and Jurgita completed the video and photo editing.
This project was supported by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.