Riga Cathedral
The musical piece was written during the German occupation of Latvia during World War II. A tape of its premiere on 15 March 1944 with Garūta playing the organ, although recorded at the St. Gertrude Old Church in Riga, is said to have captured the sounds of battle that were heard outside of the Riga Dome Cathedral. The premiere featured massed choirs conducted by while the composer played the Riga Cathedral pipe organ. Until the return of Soviet rule in late 1944, the work was performed more than ten times at the St. Gertrude Old Church and the of Liepāja.