The event took place in the multifunctional hall of the Embassy of Finland, and was originally a collaboration between the Norwegian accordion orchestra Sandnes Accordion Orchestra and the Lithuanian accordion orchestra Consona. As Consona had participated at the Norwegian Accordion Championship in Sandnes last year, this was an opportunity for the Norwegian orchestra to return the visit. Lithuanian youths performing traditional Norwegian dances also participated in the concert, as well as the professional opera singer Natalja Krauter. The musicians and dancers presented an eclectic mix of cultural expressions from the two countries.
After a welcome speech by Ambassador Steinar Gil, Sandnes Accordion Orchestra gave us the first performance. With a focus on traditional Norwegian and Nordic music, the eight accordionists and one guitarist played some songs popularly known in Norway as well, particularly the melodies to the folk singer and author Alf Prøysens texts. The conductor of Sandnes Accordion Orchestra, Tore Koppang, also played a trumpet solo to a traditional arrangement. Their performance was finally accompanied with folk dancing by Lithuanian dancers. Though the traditional performances were inspired by Norwegian folk dancing, the dances have their roots from the continental Northern and Eastern European area.
The acclaimed accordion orchestra Consona is made up of music teachers from the Vilnius region, and consisted in this event of seventeen accordionists, one drummer, and conductor Rita Auksoriūtė. They played classical as well as popular music, and during several performances they were accompanied by opera singer Natalja Krauter. One of the melodies played was the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg’s music with Aasmund Olavson Vinje’s text “Ved Rondane” (Kelias į Tėvynę), performed by Krauter in flawless Nynorsk language. The last song of the evening was a cooperation between the two accordion orchestras on the winner of this year’s Eurosong, Aleksander Rybak's “I’m in love with a fairytale”. Ambassador Steinar Gil finally thanked the musicians for their contributions, and was presented with a gift from the Mayor of Sandnes. The Ambassador of Denmark to Lithuania, Laurids Mikaelsen, also thanked the musicians, and on his first visit congratulated the Embassies of Finland and Norway on their new premises.