SSS NJEGOS CHOIR OF CLEVELAND CONTINENTAL PREMIER OF SAHRANA
By Mimi Dae
Cleveland, OH - A concert weekend not soon to be forgotten…the Cleveland community welcomed guest composer Mr.Rajko Maksimović, of Serbia! It was quite an honor for us to have with us such an accomplished musician.Maksimović’s works have been awarded prizes and performed throughout the world. Two such
performances should be particularly pointed out:
- The Saint Prince Lazarus Passion at the "Semaines Musicales" in Tours (France) '89.
- Testament of P.P. Njegoš, the Bishop of Montenegro at the World's Festival of Orthodox Music in
St. Petersburg '96.
Rajko Maksimović (b. 1935) of Belgrade, Serbia. He had completed his studies in composition in 1961 with prof. Predrag Milošević at the Academy of Music in Belgrade. He completed his Master's degree in 1965. He spent a year at the Princeton University (N.J. - USA) through the Fulbright program. There his
main focus was electronic music. In 1963 he was appointed as assistant professor for Composition; later on (1967) the associate professor for Harmony & Counterpoint; now he is a full professor for Composition & Orchestration at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade. His scores include works for chamber ensemble, choir, choir and orchestra, solo instrument, and music for children.
Congratulations to all the choirs who participated in the continental premier of “Sahrana” under the direction of Mr. Milan Damljanović. “Sahrana” is a movement of The Saint Prince Lazarus Passion.
Guest soloist for this piece is Dr. Kurt Sander. Kurt Sander (b. 1969) is currently associate professor and Department Chair at Northern Kentucky University. His music has been heard at various concerts and festivals throughout the country and in
Europe including June-in-Buffalo (1993), the Resolution 2000 New Music Festival, EarTalk '99 (Greece), the 36th National Conference of the Society of Composers, Inc. (2002), and the North American Music Festival in Boca Raton (2002). His works have been played by the Pleven Philharmonic (Bulgaria),
Cappella Romana, the Nevsky String Quartet (St. Petersburg), the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, pianist Angela Tosheva, the Solaris Wind Quintet, Synchronia Ensemble, The New Music Associates, Schola Cantorum, and the Cantata Singers of Ottawa.
Our participating fellow choirs are dear to our hearts. These choirs include some of our greater Cleveland area Orthodox choirs; St. Sergius Russian Choir, Holy Trinity Orthodox Choir, the Cleveland
Russian Chorus, St. Theodosius Cathedral Choir and Melos Ensemble. Special guests, the Dr. Laza Kostich Choir of Midland, PA are our good friends and neighbors from PA. We are honored that they made the trip to be with us for such a memorable event and the Njegoš choir wishes them much success always as they just celebrated their 73rd anniversary. Our congratulations also goes out to Mildred Beaver of Midland, PA being awarded the Adam Popovich Award as Director of the year, this past May.
Mrs. Melva Brnilovic gave special recognition to SSF President Mr. Mark Borota for his newly elected position.
The Stevan Hristić Choir of Phoenix was our honored guest choir. This Phoenix choir is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary this year. Mr. Lazo Mihajlovich promised an impressive concert and he delivered. Song selections included Svjati Bože by Teofanov and Heruvimska by L. Mihajlovich. The Phoenix choir is special to us and we are proud that they too perform music from modern living composers in Serbia. We are all working together to support our brilliant composers in this modern time and helping to support
future compositions.
Another special guest was in attendance, Dr. Bosanka Jocic-Jakubi who is visiting the US from Niš, Serbia. Dr. Bosanka is a dear friend to our choir and has helped us to help many children at the pediatric hospital of Nis. We wish her much success and send our love to the children we have touched through generous donations of many of our choir Kumovi and supporters who attended the weekend. May she enjoy her visit in the US and especially in Cleveland. Many thanks to Dr. Nikola Resanović who attended the concert with his wonderful family and added to the many professional academic musicians in the
crowd.
The Njegoš choir performed Tamo Daleko by Velickovic and Damljanovic in the memory of +Stevo Turcola. Our brother whom we miss so dearly and will remember him through song always. His passing was a great loss to our choir family and the entire Serbian community. We are praying for him and his family. May his memory be eternal! The composition Povratak was performed for the health and well being of Kumovi Dr. Branimir and Borjana Simic Glavaski who brought to our attention this wonderful
piece of music. Mnogaja ljeta!
Congratulations was given to Maestro Milan, our Cathedral’s longest standing music director! Damljanovic is a picture of professionalism, dedication and commitment to the Holy Orthodox Church – 18 year strong! Ziveli to tenor V. Rev. Vasilije B. Sokolovic and Protinica Zagorka, our longest standing
Dean of the Cathedral. Thanks were given to co-chairs of the event Mr. Michael Marjanovic, choir president and Mrs. Mira Damljanovic, choir secretary. Two dedicated and unselfish members and always with a WOW factor! Many thanks were also given to the choir Kumovi and family for all of their support.
The Cleveland choir is a busy choir with a full schedule year long and it takes a group effort to keep things organized and running smoothly. This is a dedicated choir that commits not only to our Serbian community but the community at large and we applaud all of their efforts.
Special recognition was given to our longest standing board members because this was our centennital year. Congratulations to Mrs. Loretta Knezevic, Mrs. Sophie Pasinic and Mr. Michael Marjanovic. All have served over 2 decades on the executive board. Assistant conductors Mr. Adam Vlainic, Mrs. Mira
Damljanovic, and Protinica Lindsay Zobenica were thanked for their assistance.
The program book for this special event during St. Sava Cathedra’s 100 year anniversary included many beautiful letters. I would like to mention a few at this time. V. Rev. Zivojin Jakovljevic praised three things that are immediately drawn to your attention when visiting the Cathedral. Those are the splendor and beauty of the church, the amazing craftsmanship of the iconostasis and the elating sound of the choir. He went on to state that the magnificence of our church, the beauty of its interior is important,
but the praise of the Lord, in song, during the Divine Liturgy, is what makes it meaningful. Otherwise the church would just be a museum. Cathedral president, Dr. Branimir Simić Glavaski welcomed all visiting choirs and special guests. He thanked music director Mr. Milan Damljanović who has given many successful concerts and traveled as ambassador with the choir throughout the US and Canada, and Serbia, representing the Cathedra and the wealth and depth of our Serbian spiritual and secular music.
Milan was also thanked for his 18 years of service to our Cathedral as longest standing music director in our 100 year history!
HRH Prince Alexander Karadjordjević sent a letter to Mr. Milan Damljanović thanking him personally and all the members of the choir for their hard work to make this celebration a great success. Finally, there was a beautiful greeting by composer and president of the Federation of Serbian choirs in Serbia, Mr. Aleksandar Vujić. He reminisced on the wonderful experience he had at the SSF choral festival held in Cleveland only a few years ago and how wonderful it was to see so many American born Serbs singing in their mother tongue, Serbian! He said it was a very proud moment for him and the Serbs of this continent should be proud as well.
A beautiful program was held and was professionally run by Ms. Dorothy Winovich, Kuma of the choir. There was a prayer followed by Vjecnaja Pamjat for our newly departed brother +Stevo Turcola whom we miss very dearly. Following several introductions the program began by the guest choir, Stevan Hristic Choir of Phoenix. They were like a ray of sunshine in the room! The concert had so many wonderful choir in attendance and not a word was spoken, which is difficult in a room over crowded with Serbs! The Melos Ensemble, lead by Damljanovic premiered Vece na skolju by Rajko Maksimovic.
This was its first performance in North America and we were honored to have Maksimovic in attendance. Melos also performed Svjete tihij by Kurt Sander, who conducted the piece for its
performance, what an honor! Finally, the combined chorus brought the house down. Tebe Boga hvalim by Mokranjac was sung as a rejoice to the Lord, as well appropriate! Sahrana by Rajko Maksimovic with Soloist Dr. Kurt Sander took everyone by surprise. The lights of the hall were dimmed the candles on the
stage by singers were lit. It was truly a vigil to Czar Lazar, in the background was a video of past and current picture of Kosovo and Metohija. There was not a dry eye in the house. The reaction of non Serbsthat were in attendance was astounding. I had interviewed a few visitors and found it so beautiful that there were people that were not familiar with our Serbian history and through the music and photos were so moved that they could barely speak. I am tearful as I write this. This choir is always impressing
our community but, this was by far a performance we will never forget. Such an impact on not only our Serbian community but the community at large to our extended neighbors is not going unrecognized.
The work that went into such a program was tremendous.