Niš, Serbia
Choral Society “Branko”
- Conductor Sara Cincarević
- First evening 12 June 2011
- Festival Music Edict 2011
The “Branko” Church Choral Society was founded in 1887 at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Niš and has never stopped working since. Between the two World Wars the choir received the Order of St Sava of the third degree, the ducat of King Alexander Karađorđević and the society banner of King Peter II Karađorđević. After the Second World War the “Branko” choir was outside public life for more than 40 years, but it never stopped its basic mission - singing at the services. In 1990 the ensemble was completely renewed, with the conductor Sara Cincarević at its head. Over the last 20 years the choir has performed in Germany, Greece, Italy, Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia, Slovenia, Montenegro, the Republic of Srpska, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Belgium, Poland, the Czech Republic, the USA and Canada. It has taken part in many international festivals, including Rotenburg and Marktoberdorf in Germany, and won many awards: the International Festival of Orthodox Chant in Minsk, Belarus (Grand Prix), the Mokranjac Days in Negotin (1st place, winner of the singing competition) and the Days of Church Music in Hajnówka, Poland (Grand Prix). The choir has been awarded the Order of St Sava of the second degree, the Order of the Holy Apostle Paul of the Greek Church and the Order of the Holy Emperor Constantine. It sang at the enthronement of two Serbian Patriarchs in Peć, Pavle in 1994 and Irinej in 2010. In 2009, with the blessing of His Grace Bishop Irinej of Niš, now Serbian Patriarch, the “Branko” Church Choral Society revived and organised the festival of sacred music “Music Edict” in Niš, and for two full years has given concerts around the world promoting the festival.
Programme
- Antiphon of Pentecost - S. St. Mokranjac; Troparion of Pentecost - V. Karadžov, soloist: Fr Zoran Filipović, baritone
- Let My Prayer Arise - Pavel Chesnokov, soloist: Jovana Miladinović, alto
- In Thy Kingdom - Dobri Hristov, soloist: Marijana Radosavljević, soprano
- Evlogitaria - P. I. Tchaikovsky
- God Is with Us - Degtyarev
