The large and small choirs of the Niš Church Choral Society “Branko” gave a full-length concert last night, 31 May 2022, entitled “An Evening of Sacred Music” at the Kolarac Endowment (Kolarac). Alongside the singers from Niš, the special guest at Belgrade's temple of classical music was Schema-Archimandrite Serafim bit-Haribi from Georgia, who sings in Aramaic - the language of Christ - accompanied by members of the choir of the Monastery of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers.
The performance of the choir “Branko” and the monk Serafim from Georgia aroused great interest among the Belgrade audience, as shown by the full hall of the Kolarac Endowment, which seats 600.
The children's choir with conductor Jovana Mikić came on stage first. Well-rehearsed and warm voices, of a kind few children's choirs can boast, delighted the audience in the capital, who thanked them with thunderous applause.
They were followed by the large choir under the direction of Sara Cincarević, which, to put it in musicians' slang, “blew away” the stage and the hall.
On the music scene of good music, especially in the performance of sacred music, the choir “Branko” has absolutely stood out from other amateur choirs and can stand “shoulder to shoulder” with the RTS Choir, with which it has already performed.
A jubilee year
The Niš Church Choral Society “Branko”, which this year celebrates 135 years of existence and work, was officially founded on 1 September 1887, although the literature and some archival sources also mention Christmas and St George's Day, which was proclaimed the Society's patron feast, as founding dates.
Within this church choral society, the junior Children's Choir “Branko” was founded in 2004, with the blessing of the then Bishop of Niš and later Serbian Patriarch Irinej.
In the same year the church dance ensemble “Branko” was also founded.
The choir holds the Order of St Sava, Second Class, the Order of the Holy Apostle Paul of the Church of Greece and the Order of the Holy Emperor Constantine. Since 2009, with the blessing of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej, the Church Choral Society “Branko” has organised the International Festival of Sacred Music “Music Edict” in Niš, held biennially, 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. The choir “Branko” has twice been the guest of the “Glinka” Capella from St Petersburg (Russia) and its celebrated conductor Vladislav Chernushenko. Most recently, in April 2012, the choir “Branko” gave a full-length concert at the “Glinka” Capella. As part of the celebration of the jubilee of 1700 years since the Edict of Milan, the choir “Branko” sang at the central celebration, at the liturgy served by 4 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 occasion of the patron feast of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Schema-Archimandrite Serafim bit-Haribi from Georgia had already performed in Serbia, at last year's “Music Edict” festival in Niš, and last night he had the opportunity to present himself to the Belgrade audience.
The audience greeted his performance of Orthodox music, unusual for us, with thunderous applause.
The choir “Branko” and the monk Serafim will perform tomorrow, 2 June, in Niš, on the occasion of the city's patron feast, in the Church of the Holy Emperor Constantine and Empress Helen.
