“Gaudeamus is a powerful force to be reckoned with and at the same time, is also a very strong brotherhood,’’ acknowledged RTU men`s choir Gaudeamus conductor Ivars Cinkuss at the choir’s 50<sup>th</sup> Anniversary celebration, adding:” that 50 years is but a trifle when compared to the world choir movement as a whole; in fact, Gaudeamus is ready to take on new challenges for the next 50 years.”
The RTU men`s choir Gaudeamus 50^th Anniversary concert took place on Saturday, March 6^th. Over 500 choir patrons attended this grand event to congratulate and to enjoy listening to the choir.
The Latvian TV News First Program «Labrīt, Latvija!» (Good Morning, Latvia!) and «Panorāma» and the newspaper publications «5 min» (5.03.2010.) un «Diena» (Day) (25.02.2010.). ran stories and reports about the planned Gaudeamus Anniversary Concert Celebrations.
According to the Honorary Conductor Edgars Račevskis, ever since its inception, the choir has never missed performing at a Latvian song festival.  Someone who can verify this is Arvīds Kanbergs; the choir member with the most seniority (50 years) and who has been singing in Gaudeamus since its very first day.
One of the most important aspects of Gaudeamus on its 50^th anniversary is that there are also many younger singers in their twenties and thirties taking part. As choir member and lawyer Jānis Sīlis admits: “More and more, younger people are beginning to understand the cultural and musical values which are disappearing or are being displaced by new technology, the internet, and computers. Young people are beginning to realize that singing and culture is what feeds the soul.” 
«Gaudeamus» anniversary concert headed by the artistic director and head conductor Ivars Cinkuss and the Honorary conductor Edgars Račevskis had both a serious side, with religious music and a not-so-serious side, with a Talent show of choir members and friends and the singing of “Nīcas kāzas” (Nicas Wedding) composed by Jānis Dreimanis. 
Going by the same name - Gaudeamus, the Riga Pedagogical and Educational Leadership Academy Symphony Orchestra - Gaudeamus performed with the men’s choir. In addition, other choir friends and well-known composers Uģis Praulins, Niks Gothams and Juris Kulakovs performed at the concert. In recent years, these three composers have been commissioned by the choir Gaudeamus to write compositions in order to promote creativity and new music in the male choir music arena in Latvia.  In the concert finale, the Gaudeamus unofficial hymn- Muzu muzos bus dziesma (Forever Let There Be Song) by Valters Kaminskis was performed by all Gaudeamus current and former visiting choir members.
Edgars Racevskis was the founder and artistic director of Gaudeamus for 37 years. Since 1996, Ivars Cinkuss has taken the reins as artistic director and head conductor. Gaudeamus has performed on four continents in more than 30 countries including Australia, China, South Africa and the United States.

RTU Information Center
8.03.2010.