About the festival

Since 2009, the International Festival of Sacred Choral Music “Music Edict” has been held in Niš every two years. The inspiration for its founding is the fact that Niš is the birthplace of St Constantine the Great, who together with Emperor Licinius established freedom of religion for Christians, as well as for all the inhabitants of the Roman Empire, with the Edict of Milan in 313. A Christian in heart and in deed, confirmed by baptism before his repose, St Constantine is the most famous native of Niš who ever walked the earth.

Founded ahead of the 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan, the festival carried the wish to mark this great jubilee with a living encounter of peoples, cultures and Christian traditions. Every other year, at Pentecost, the Cathedral in Niš becomes a place where different languages and musical expressions unite in prayer. Through sacred choral music the participants share the richness of their heritage, get to know one another and form friendships that last long after the final festival notes.

The Music Edict is an artistic act in the footsteps of Emperor Constantine’s legal act, with the task of promoting freedom of faith, mutual respect, love and togetherness through song. Drawing on the heritage of the past, it invites us to meet in the present - so that, by listening to one another, we discover what connects us. The Psalmist David defines the programme of our festival most succinctly: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord”.

Open to all Christian denominations

What makes the Music Edict special is its openness to all Christian denominations, as the festival’s message rests on the spirit of the Edict of Milan - freedom of religion and mutual respect. The meeting of different spiritual and musical traditions gives participants and audiences the opportunity to discover the richness of the Christian heritage, in which every language and every song carries its own expression of faith.

So far the festival has hosted almost a hundred different ensembles from all over the world, building friendships, gathering an ever wider audience and connecting cultures. Through performances and time spent together, singers and conductors exchange experiences and discover what their traditions have in common. In this way the Music Edict also becomes a space of getting to know and understand one another, where love for sacred music brings people together and leaves a lasting mark on the life of the city.

Pentecost - the feast of the Cathedral

The festival begins on the feast of Pentecost - the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles - the patronal feast of the Cathedral in Niš. This feast gives a special meaning to the festival gathering: just as the apostles spoke in different tongues, so at the Music Edict different peoples and traditions meet in the common language of prayer and song.

The festival evenings take place in the Cathedral and the St Sava Centre in Niš, whose spaces connect the spiritual and cultural life of the city. In a solemn, festive atmosphere, the voices of the choirs fill the church and the concert hall, giving the audience the chance to experience the richness of sacred music. Thus the celebration of the Cathedral’s patronal feast blends with the festival encounters, bringing the joy of togetherness into the lives of participants, hosts and visitors.

The Cathedral of the Descent of the Holy Spirit in Niš

Festival venue

The Cathedral - song beneath the vaults of faith

The Cathedral of the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles in Niš is the spiritual heart of the Music Edict. Beneath its vaults choral music gains a special power, returning to the space of prayer from which it came. Amid frescoes, icons and festive light, the voices of choirs of different Christian traditions meet in song dedicated to God. For participants and audiences alike, the festival evenings in the Cathedral are an encounter with the music, faith and spiritual heritage of Niš.

The Music Edict programme in the St Sava Centre hall

Festival venue

The St Sava Centre - a place of art and encounter

In the churchyard of the Cathedral, the St Sava Centre completes the festival space as a place of concerts and fellowship. Its main hall allows a close encounter between performers and audience, bringing out the beauty of choral sound and the diversity of musical traditions. Closely connected with the life of the Niš Church Choral Society “Branko”, during the Music Edict the St Sava Centre also becomes a home for the visiting ensembles - a place of welcome, of sharing experiences and of new friendships.