Page 31 - LOTN Autumn Issue 48 2021

FAITH AND CULTURE

of the EU, a member of NATO and took on the Euro as its
currency in January 2014. Today the religions are, in order of
number of adherents, Lutheran, Catholic, Russian Orthodox
and Baptist.
Riga is a lovely city to visit and has the wide Daugava
River running through it, wide and deep enough for the
city to have a ferry port with daily sailings to Stockholm,
Sweden. Strolling along the embankment you will come
to a large statue of St Christopher, looking out across the
river. The statue is inside a modern “cabin” with glass walls,
classical columns and roof. However, there is no mention
of “Saint” Christopher, only “Big” Christopher. There is a
plate attached to the large glass walled structure covering
the statue. This states in English, that “Once upon a time,
long ago before the City of Riga was founded a tall strong
man named Lilas Kristaps (Big Christopher) carried people
across the river Daugava. Kristaps lived in a cabin on the
right bank of the river. While sleeping one night, Kristaps
heard a small child crying on the other side of the river. He
immediately rose to fetch the child and began to carry it
across the river. Halfway across, the child became so heavy
that Kristaps barely managed to get to the other bank.
Exhausted, he laid the child down to sleep in his shack and The "Big Christopher" monument
fell asleep himself. The following morning Kristaps awoke Communism) “Saints” were frowned upon, so a folk lore was
to find a large chest of gold coins where the child had been. established around St Christopher’s statue which protected
Upon his death, the money was used to found the city of it from desecration or removal.
Riga. The first building was built on the spot where Kristap’s So, if you want to discover a secret Saint Christopher and
cabin had once stood.” a lively city that was the European Capital of Culture 2014,
The original wooden statue was made by Michael – go to Riga! English is widely spoken and there are English
Brinkman in 1683 and is now in the Museum of the History language Masses in some of the churches. Many more
of Riga and Navigation. The one on the riverbank is a copy details are available from www.liveriga.com
made by Gints Upitis in 1997.
Of course, this history of “Big Christopher” corresponds My thanks are due to Mr. Juris Berze of Riga, an expert on
with Saint Christopher almost exactly. It is believed religious matters in Latvia, who advised on this article.
that when Lutheranism swept through Latvia (and later

St Margaret's, Huntly I withstood the eagerness, not to say rage, which prevailed
for it here also’.
Once his initial reluctance was overcome, however,
– A vibrant music he threw himself into the church music project with
enthusiasm, even to the extent of building a gallery for his
tradition since 1818 singers and employing a teacher with excellent credentials.
William Davidson was a former member and later teacher of
Rev. Charles Gordon’s choir in Aberdeen, and was employed
at Huntly to conduct choir rehearsals on Saturday and
BY SHELAGH NODEN Sunday evenings and immediately before Sunday Mass.
A tailor by trade, he received for his work as choirmaster a
he beginning of the nineteenth century saw salary of £1 per month.
increased freedom of worship for Catholics in Writing to Bishop Cameron, Mr Rattray stated that his
Scotland, and with this there came a rush to choir now had forty members, ‘their zeal overcoming
Tintroduce singing in churches. Catholics were all obstacles’, and he later employed William Davidson’s
keen to explore the musical heritage of their Church daughter, ‘a girlie of fourteen, nearly as able a teacher as
after an enforced silence of two hundred years. The her father’, to take additional practices during the week.
historian, Christine Johnson, has shown that by 1817 The success of the choir attracted local Protestants, some of
almost every chapel in the Lowland district had a lay whom asked William Davidson to instruct their singers. Mr
choir. Rattray felt obliged to consult Bishop Cameron about this,
Not so at Huntly, however. The priest there, Rev. Mr William asking if allowing it would ‘thereby contribute to the support
Rattray (Catholic secular priests were not known as ‘Father’ of heresy’. The bishop’s ruling has yet to be discovered.
at this time) held out until 1818, saying ‘Singing having The Huntly choir sang Masses and motets by Samuel
been introduced into most chapels around me years ago, Webbe, obtained via staff at Aquhorties College, who also
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