The Department of Folk Songs carries out research on Lithuanian folk songs. The main areas of research are:

 

 

A group of department scholars carries out multidirectional research on the song tradition, interprets the historical development of the tradition, its changes and current development. Their work is not limited to the study of songs. The contemporary situation of folklore culture encourages the recording and interpretation of various manifestations of modern folklore and the description of the distinctive, somewhat folklorized system of cultural values that has developed on the basis of classical folklore. The results of the research carried out on individual topics are published in monographs and articles.

 

The ongoing work on the database of folk songs is the department’s separate activity. The structure of the catalogues of Lithuanian folk song texts and melodies is based on functional, thematic and typological principles. The system functions in the form of a card catalogue, whereas individual sections of the catalogue also function as books. The catalogues are used in scientific and applied research, in the publishing of song sources, and are widely used for cultural purposes.     

 

The compilation of song sources is also carried out in the context of multi-level research (typological, textological, and melodic). The fundamental compendium of Lietuvių liaudies dainynas [The Collection of Lithuanian Folk Songs] is a continuous multi-volume publication providing a comprehensive diachronic view of the Lithuanian singing tradition. The volumes of the publication, which are organized according to the genres of the songs, contain not only the songs themselves, but also a description of various structural and textological patterns, related to the historical development of the songs and their contexts. From 1980 to 2020, twenty five (25) volumes were published (see here). The department also produces modern publications of an applied nature (both in print and e-form), aimed at presenting to the wider audience Lithuanian songs of historical and cultural value. 

 

The researchers of the department are also involved in the dissemination of the results of their research. They organize an annual folklore conference, give lectures to cultural and educational workers, students and schoolchildren, and provide consultations on the subject.