Niš, Serbia
Church Choral Society “Branko”
- Conductor Sara Cincarević
- First evening 16 June 2019
- Festival Music Edict 2019
The “Branko” Church Choral Society of Niš was founded on 1 September 1887 at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Niš. The choir is named after the famous poet of Serbian Romanticism, Branko Radičević. For a full 127 years it has sung without interruption with the Bishop of Niš and the clergy in the Niš Cathedral. From the long and turbulent history of the choir we single out its tours across the Balkans between the two World Wars, which spread the fame of Serbian choral music. In that period 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 shared the catacomb fate of the Serbian Church and for more than 40 years was outside public life, but it never stopped its basic mission - singing at the services. In the 1990s the ensemble was completely renewed. Over the last 20 years the choir has performed in Germany, Greece, Italy, Austria, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, the Republic of Srpska, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Belgium, Poland, France, the Czech Republic, the USA, Canada and Israel. It has taken part in many international festivals and won many awards, among them the International Festival of Orthodox Chant in Minsk, Belarus (Grand Prix), the Days of Church Music in Hajnówka, Poland (Grand Prix) and the Mokranjac Days in Negotin (1st place in the competition at the 40th Mokranjac Days), and it has sung at festivals in Rotenburg and Marktoberdorf. The choir was blessed to sing at the enthronement of two Serbian Patriarchs in Peć - Patriarch Pavle and Patriarch Irinej. It holds the Order of St Sava of the first and second degree, the Order of the Holy Apostle Paul of the Greek Orthodox Church and the Order of the Holy Emperor Constantine. Since 2009, with the blessing of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej, the “Branko” Church Choral Society has organised the International Festival of Sacred Music “Music Edict” in Niš, held every two years, at which 54 ensembles from 14 countries have performed in the last three editions. Since its foundation the festival has been under the patronage of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej. The “Branko” choir has twice been the guest of the Glinka Choir Capella of St Petersburg (Russia) and its celebrated conductor Vladislav Chernushenko; the last time, in April 2012, it gave a full-length concert at the Glinka Capella. As part of the celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan, the “Branko” choir sang at the central celebration, at the liturgy served by four patriarchs and representatives of all the local Orthodox Churches, in Niš on 6 October 2013. In December 2015 the choir gave a full-length concert in Constantinople, organised by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, for the guests of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on the feast of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. In 2017, marking 130 years since its foundation, the choir performed at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow and gave a full-length concert. In August 2018 the choir took part in the 19th “Mundial de Coros” festival in Mexico as the only choir from Europe.
Conductor
Sara Cincarević
Sara Cincarević was born in Prizren into the Timotijević family of priests, and received her first musical education in the same town. At fifteen she was already conducting the children's choir of the Orthodox church in Đakovica. She continued her musical education at the “Mokranjac” secondary music school in Belgrade, where she also conducted the junior choir of the First Belgrade Choral Society. In 1983 she moved to Niš, and since 1990 she has led the “Branko” Church Choral Society of Niš. Thanks to her commitment and professional authority, the “Branko” choir has not only been revived and rejuvenated with pupils, students, intellectuals and artists, but has achieved outstanding results in recent decades, with many notable performances at home and abroad. In 2008 Sara Cincarević was awarded the Order of the Holy Apostle Paul by the Metropolis of Veria, Naousa and Campania of the Greek Orthodox Church. A special honour for the “Branko” society and for Sara Cincarević personally was singing at the liturgies at the enthronement of Patriarch Pavle (1994) and Patriarch Irinej (2010) in Peć. From 2010 to 2013 she was a jury member of the International Festival “Days of Church Music” in Hajnówka, Poland. She has been the selector of the International Festival of Sacred Choral Music “Music Edict” in Niš since its foundation in 2009. She is a long-standing member of the Council of the International Choir Festival in Niš and a member of the Council of the Mokranjac Days in Negotin.
Programme
- We Praise Thee, O God (Te Deum) - St. St. Mokranjac (1856-1914)
- Antiphon of Pentecost: Through the Intercession of the Theotokos, Save Us, O Merciful Comforter - St. St. Mokranjac (1856-1914); Blessed Art Thou, O Christ Our God - Jakov Milutinović (2001-), soloist: Archpriest Vladica Savić, tenor
- Holy Is the Lord Our God, from the All-Night Vigil - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
