Mokranjac - Serbian Choral Society

Transcription

Serbian Choral Society
Melbourne
Melbourne
P R E S E N T S
SOPRANOS
Vesna Dulović
Zorica Golijanin
Ksenija Janković
Aleksandra Katanović
Dragica Kesić
Ivana Lazarević
Nevena Orlić
Djurdja Pavasović
ALTOS
Floarea Cveta Dimitrovici
Dubravka Lazarević
Olivera Stojić
Gordana Vučurević
TENORS
Goran Gajić
Tijana Jarić
Predrag Jorgović
Biljana Klarić
Tatjana Petrović
BASSES
CONTACT DETAILS
For further information about
Serbian Choral Society please visit:
www.serbianchoralsociety.org.au
or contact
[email protected]
SERBIAN CHORAL SOCIETY INC, REG.NO. A0059927Z
Graphic Design - Goran Nikolić | Content Design - Rajko Vukčević
Melbourne, Australia © 2015
Siniša Duboka
Aleksandar Kovač
Vukan Mišić
Igor Orlić
Tamara Prošić
Rade Vlajić
Milan Vučetić
Mokranjac:
Serbian Sacred Choral Music
ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN A CAPPELLA WORKS BY STEVAN STOJANOVIĆ MOKRANJAC
Australian concert premiere of
Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom &
Funeral Service (Requiem)
Conducted by Sanja Drljača
Sava Djukic, baritone
Alan de Niese, presenter
Sunday 25 October 2015, 3:00 pm • St Johns Southgate Lutheran Church, Melbourne
MOKRANJAC 03
About the Programme
Welcome
RAJKO VUKČEVIĆ
SECRETARY OF SERBIAN
CHORAL SOCIETY
“In Serbia Mokranjac is likened to Johan Sebastian Bach,
such was his immense contribution to both secular and sacred (Serbian) music”
Simon Callow, ‘Madrid and Belgrade’
episode 12, season 2 TV series ‘Classical Destinations’ (2007)
“Church music is the only Serbian classical tradition, because the onset of
the Ottoman occupation (in 14th century) interrupted the development of
Renaissance secular music. If we seek historical music roots, today they can
be only anticipated and recognised in the church chants and manuscripts of
Serbian composers of Byzantine tradition from the Middle Ages.”
Miloš Raičković, Serbian composer - USA, 2011
Tonight’s program focuses on
the sacred music used in the
service of Serbian Orthodox
Church. All of the pieces
presented are composed by
the most outstanding figure in
the Serbian classical music –
Stevan Stojanović Mokranjac
(pronounced as Mokraːnjats).
The Orthodox Church,
including the Serbian,
traditionally does not use
instruments in the liturgical
services, relying entirely on
choral music and chanting. All
the words of Orthodox services,
except sermons and such,
are either chanted or sung by
readers and choirs, and when
possible the congregations.
Serbian Choral Society follows
this tradition and the concert
will be performed entirely
a cappella (without
instrumental accompaniment).
~ The concert opens with
The Lord’s Prayer, a hymn
which is normally sung as
part of the Divine Liturgy of
St John Chrysostom located
somewhere at the ¾ mark.
Tonight it will be performed
separately for two reasons - as
this version was composed
almost 20 years after the
Divine Liturgy, and as it was
one of the last major works by
Mokranjac. This composition
is often performed as a
concert piece on its own, and
in Australia it was presented
several times by the Serbian
Choral Society.
an artistically coherent
performance. As a result, the
duration of the performance
of the Divine Liturgy is scaled
down to approximately 45
minutes from about 2 hours
of the regular liturgical
service.
~ The version of the Divine
Liturgy performed tonight is
somewhat different from the
one usually carried out on
Sunday morning services in
Serbian Orthodox churches
(including those in Australia).
As is customary on occasions
of concert performances
(and their equivalent audio
recordings), some changes are
introduced to the structure
of the Liturgy. The focus
of tonight’s performance is
on the artistic expression
and display of beauty of
the music, rather than on
evocation of the religious
fervour.
~ The role of a priest will
be more prominent in the
work that follows - Funeral
Service. It will be performed
in its integral form - as
composed and as used in the
church service - therefore
complete with the original
readings of the priest.
During the regular church
service a choir takes on the
role of ‘people’ (congregation),
which ‘respond’ to the
chanted readings of the
priest by singing hymns and
prayers. In this performance,
however, there will be a role
reversal - the choir becomes
dominant and the priest of
secondary importance. Some
readings normally chanted
by the priest are omitted,
while the retained ones form
the ‘glue’ between the choir’s
pieces to achieve and enhance
~ We Praise Tee is another
popular concert piece,
and one of Mokranjac’s
most important sacred
compositions. It was also
performed by Serbian Choral
Society on several occasions.
~ The last piece Hail, Bride is
somewhat special, and not
only for its beauty. Two days
before his passing away in
1914, Mokranjac insisted that
his wife Milica and his son
Momčilo join him in a singalong. Hail, Bride was his
last chanting.
As far as we are aware of, the
performances of Divine Liturgy
and Funeral Service will be
Australian concert premiers.
We rejoice in this occasion and
extend our warm welcome to
this unique and rare concert
performance.
MOKRANJAC 03
About the Programme
Welcome
RAJKO VUKČEVIĆ
SECRETARY OF SERBIAN
CHORAL SOCIETY
“In Serbia Mokranjac is likened to Johan Sebastian Bach,
such was his immense contribution to both secular and sacred (Serbian) music”
Simon Callow, ‘Madrid and Belgrade’
episode 12, season 2 TV series ‘Classical Destinations’ (2007)
“Church music is the only Serbian classical tradition, because the onset of
the Ottoman occupation (in 14th century) interrupted the development of
Renaissance secular music. If we seek historical music roots, today they can
be only anticipated and recognised in the church chants and manuscripts of
Serbian composers of Byzantine tradition from the Middle Ages.”
Miloš Raičković, Serbian composer - USA, 2011
Tonight’s program focuses on
the sacred music used in the
service of Serbian Orthodox
Church. All of the pieces
presented are composed by
the most outstanding figure in
the Serbian classical music –
(pronounced as Mokraːnjats).
The Orthodox Church,
including the Serbian,
traditionally does not use
instruments in the liturgical
services, relying entirely on
choral music and chanting. All
the words of Orthodox services,
except sermons and such,
are either chanted or sung by
readers and choirs, and when
possible the congregations.
Serbian Choral Society follows
this tradition and the concert
will be performed entirely
a cappella (without
instrumental accompaniment).
~ The concert opens with
The Lord’s Prayer, a hymn
which is normally sung as
part of the Divine Liturgy of
St John Chrysostom located
somewhere at the ¾ mark.
Tonight it will be performed
separately for two reasons - as
this version was composed
almost 20 years after the
Divine Liturgy, and as it was
one of the last major works by
Mokranjac. This composition
is often performed as a
concert piece on its own, and
in Australia it was presented
several times by the Serbian
Choral Society.
an artistically coherent
performance. As a result, the
duration of the performance
of the Divine Liturgy is scaled
down to approximately 45
minutes from about 2 hours
of the regular liturgical
service.
~ The version of the Divine
Liturgy performed tonight is
somewhat different from the
one usually carried out on
Sunday morning services in
Serbian Orthodox churches
(including those in Australia).
As is customary on occasions
of concert performances
(and their equivalent audio
recordings), some changes are
introduced to the structure
of the Liturgy. The focus
of tonight’s performance is
on the artistic expression
and display of beauty of
the music, rather than on
evocation of the religious
fervour.
~ The role of a priest will
be more prominent in the
work that follows - Funeral
Service. It will be performed
in its integral form - as
composed and as used in the
church service - therefore
complete with the original
readings of the priest.
During the regular church
service a choir takes on the
role of ‘people’ (congregation),
which ‘respond’ to the
chanted readings of the
priest by singing hymns and
prayers. In this performance,
however, there will be a role
reversal - the choir becomes
dominant and the priest of
secondary importance. Some
readings normally chanted
by the priest are omitted,
while the retained ones form
the ‘glue’ between the choir’s
pieces to achieve and enhance
~ We Praise Tee is another
popular concert piece,
and one of Mokranjac’s
most important sacred
compositions. It was also
performed by Serbian Choral
Society on several occasions.
~ The last piece Hail, Bride is
somewhat special, and not
only for its beauty. Two days
before his passing away in
1914, Mokranjac insisted that
his wife Milica and his son
Momčilo join him in a singalong. Hail, Bride was his
last chanting.
As far as we are aware of, the
performances of Divine Liturgy
and Funeral Service will be
Australian concert premiers.
We rejoice in this occasion and
extend our warm welcome to
this unique and rare concert
performance.
MOKRANJAC 05
Programme
WORKS BY
STEVAN STOJANOVIĆ MOKRANJAC (1856-1914)
1.
2.
1. THE LORD’S PRAYER (1912)
ОЧЕ НАШ
* 2. DIVINE LITURGY OF ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM (1894-95)
БОЖАНСТВЕНА ЛИТУРГИЈА СВ ЈОВАНА ЗЛАТОУСТОГ
PART 1 - Liturgy of the Catechumens
Litany, Lord, have mercy
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O only-begotten Son
Come, let us worship
Holy God
Alleluia
And with thy spirit
3.
PART 2 - Liturgy of the Believers
Cherubic Hymn
That we may receive the King of all
It is meet and right
Holy, holy, holy
We praise Thee
It is truly meet
Praise Ye the Lord
Let our mouth be filled with Thy praise
Blessed be the name of the Lord
* 3. FUNERAL SERVICE (REQUIEM) (1888)
ОПЕЛО – ПАРАСТОС
No one is as Holy
With the Saints
Spirits and Souls
Eternal Memory
4.
4. WE PRAISE THEE (TE DEUM) (1904)
ТЕБЕ БОГА ХВАЛИМ
5.
5. HAIL, BRIDE (EXCERPT FROM AKATHISTOS) (1892)
РАДУЈСЈА (ДЕО ИЗ АКАТИСТА)
* Australian concert premiere
The concert will last approximately 1 hour 30 minutes. There will be no interval.
MOKRANJAC 05
Programme
WORKS BY
STEVAN STOJANOVIĆ MOKRANJAC (1856-1914)
1.
2.
1. THE LORD’S PRAYER (1912)
ОЧЕ НАШ
* 2. DIVINE LITURGY OF ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM (1894-95)
БОЖАНСТВЕНА ЛИТУРГИЈА СВ ЈОВАНА ЗЛАТОУСТОГ
PART 1 - Liturgy of the Catechumens
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O only-begotten Son
Come, let us worship
Holy God
Alleluia
And with thy spirit
3.
PART 2 - Liturgy of the Believers
Cherubic Hymn
That we may receive the King of all
Holy, holy, holy
We praise Thee
It is truly meet
Praise Ye the Lord
Let our mouth be filled with Thy praise
Blessed be the name of the Lord
* 3. FUNERAL SERVICE (REQUIEM) (1888)
ОПЕЛО – ПАРАСТОС
No one is as Holy
With the Saints
Spirits and Souls
Eternal Memory
4.
4. WE PRAISE THEE (TE DEUM) (1904)
ТЕБЕ БОГА ХВАЛИМ
5.
5. HAIL, BRIDE (EXCERPT FROM AKATHISTOS) (1892)
РАДУЈСЈА (ДЕО ИЗ АКАТИСТА)
* Australian concert premiere
The concert will last approximately 1 hour 30 minutes. There will be no interval.
MOKRANJAC 07
Programme
LYRICS
All compositions of the programme will be sung in the original Church Slavonic verse.
Only the choir text is shown below - on the left is Latin transliteration of the original Slavonic script,
with English translation on the right.
Pridite, poklonimsja, i pripadem ko Hristu,
Spasi ni, Sine Božij, voskresij iz mertvih,
pojuščija ti: Aliluja.
O come, let us worship and bow down, before Christ.
O Son of God, who art risen from-the dead,
save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia!
Gospodi, pomiluj. Amin.
Lord, have mercy. Amen.
Svjati Bože, svjati krjepki, svjati besmertni,
pomiluj nas.
Slava Ocu i Sinu, i Svjatomu Duhu,
i ninje i prisno, i vo vjeki vjekov. Amin.
Svjati bezsmertni, pomiluj nas.
pomiluj nas.
Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have
mercy on us.
Glory be to the Father, to the Son, to the Holy Spirit.
Both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Holy and immortal, have mercy on us.
mercy on us.
Aliluja, aliluja, aliluja.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
I duhovi tvojemu.
Slava tebje, Gospodi, slava tebje.
Is pola eti despota.
And with thy spirit.
Glory be to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee.
For many years, O Despot.
Gospodi, pomiluj.
Tebje Gospodi. Amin.
Lord, have mercy.
To Thee, O Lord. Amen.
1. OČE NAŠ
1. THE LORD’S PRAYER
Oče naš iže jesi na nebesjeh.
Da svjatitsja imja Tvoje;
da pridet carstvije Tvoje;
da budet volja tvoja, jako na nebesi i na zemlji.
Our Father, Who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy Name,
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Hljeb naš nasuščnij dažd nam dnes;
i ostavi nam dolgi našja,
jakože i mi ostavljajem dolžnikom našim;
i ne vovedi nas vo iskušenije,
no izbavi nas ot lukavago, ot lukavago.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the Evil One.
Amin.
Amen
2. BOŽANSTVENA LITURGIJA
SV JOVANA ZLATOUSTOG
2. THE DIVINE LITURGY OF
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
Iže heruvimi, tajno obrazujušče, i životvorjaščej
Trojicje trisvjatuju pjesan pripjevajušče, vsjakoje
ninje žitejskoje otložim popečenije.
Amin, amin, amin.
We that mystically represent the cherubim,
and sing to the life-giving Trinity the thrice-holy
hymn, let us now lay aside all earthly care.
Amen, amen, amen.
Amin. Gospodi, pomiluj.
Tebje, Gospodi. Amin.
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Slava Ocu i Sinu i Svjatomu Duhu,
Blagoslovi duše moja Gospoda,
i vsja vnutrenjaja moja, imja svjato je Jego.
Blagosloven jesi Gospodi.
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me bless His holy Name.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord.
Jako da Carja vsjeh podimem,
angelskimi nevidimo dorinosima činmi.
That we may receive the King of all,
invisibly escorted by the hosts of angels.
Oca, i Sina, i Svjatago Duha,
Troicu jedinosuščnuju i nerazdjelnuju.
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
the Trinity consubstantial and undivided.
Gospodi, pomiluj.
Lord, have mercy.
Milost mira, žertvu hvaljenija.
I so duhom tvojim.
Imami ko Gospodu.
The mercy of peace, the sacrifice of praise.
We lift them up unto the Lord.
Slava Ocu i Sinu i Svjatomu Duhu, i ninje i prisno, i
vo vjeki vjekov. Amin.
Jedinorodnij Sine, i Slove Božij, bezsmerten sij,
i izvolivij spasenija našego radi, voplotitisja,
ot svjatija Bogorodici i prisno djevi Mariji,
nepreložno vo čelovječivijsja:
raspnijsja že Hriste Bože, smertiju smert popravij,
jedin sij svjatija Troici, sproslavljajemij Ocu i
Svjatomu Duhu, spasi nas.
O only-begotten Son and Word of God, who art
immortal, and yet didst deign for our salvation to
become incarnate of the holy Mother of God and
ever-virgin Mary; Who without change becamedst
man: and wast crucified, O Christ our God, by Thy
death destroying death; Who art one of the Holy
Trinity, glorified together with the Father and the
Holy Spirit: save us!
Достојно и праведно јест,
поклањатисја Оцу, и Сину, и Свјатому Духу,
Тројицје јединосушчњеј и нераздјелњеј.
to worship the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Svjat, svjat, svjat Gospod Savaot,
ispoln nebo i zemlja slavi Tvojeja:
osana vo višnjih,
blagosloven grjadij vo imja Gospodnje,
osana vo višnjih. Amin.
Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth!
Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest. Amen.
Amin, amin.
Amen, amen.
MOKRANJAC 07
Programme
LYRICS
All compositions of the programme will be sung in the original Church Slavonic verse.
Only the choir text is shown below - on the left is Latin transliteration of the original Slavonic script,
with English translation on the right.
Pridite, poklonimsja, i pripadem ko Hristu,
Spasi ni, Sine Božij, voskresij iz mertvih,
pojuščija ti: Aliluja.
O come, let us worship and bow down, before Christ.
O Son of God, who art risen from-the dead,
save us who sing to Thee: Alleluia!
pomiluj nas.
Svjati bezsmertni, pomiluj nas.
pomiluj nas.
mercy on us.
Both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Holy and immortal, have mercy on us.
mercy on us.
I duhovi tvojemu.
Slava tebje, Gospodi, slava tebje.
Is pola eti despota.
Glory be to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee.
For many years, O Despot.
Gospodi, pomiluj.
Tebje Gospodi. Amin.
Lord, have mercy.
1. OČE NAŠ
1. THE LORD’S PRAYER
Oče naš iže jesi na nebesjeh.
Da svjatitsja imja Tvoje;
da pridet carstvije Tvoje;
da budet volja tvoja, jako na nebesi i na zemlji.
Our Father, Who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy Name,
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Hljeb naš nasuščnij dažd nam dnes;
i ostavi nam dolgi našja,
jakože i mi ostavljajem dolžnikom našim;
i ne vovedi nas vo iskušenije,
no izbavi nas ot lukavago, ot lukavago.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the Evil One.
Amin.
Amen
2. BOŽANSTVENA LITURGIJA
2. THE DIVINE LITURGY OF
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
Iže heruvimi, tajno obrazujušče, i životvorjaščej
Trojicje trisvjatuju pjesan pripjevajušče, vsjakoje
ninje žitejskoje otložim popečenije.
Amin, amin, amin.
We that mystically represent the cherubim,
and sing to the life-giving Trinity the thrice-holy
hymn, let us now lay aside all earthly care.
Amen, amen, amen.
Slava Ocu i Sinu i Svjatomu Duhu,
Blagoslovi duše moja Gospoda,
i vsja vnutrenjaja moja, imja svjato je Jego.
Blagosloven jesi Gospodi.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me bless His holy Name.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord.
Jako da Carja vsjeh podimem,
angelskimi nevidimo dorinosima činmi.
That we may receive the King of all,
invisibly escorted by the hosts of angels.
Oca, i Sina, i Svjatago Duha,
Troicu jedinosuščnuju i nerazdjelnuju.
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Gospodi, pomiluj.
Lord, have mercy.
Milost mira, žertvu hvaljenija.
I so duhom tvojim.
Imami ko Gospodu.
The mercy of peace, the sacrifice of praise.
We lift them up unto the Lord.
Slava Ocu i Sinu i Svjatomu Duhu, i ninje i prisno, i
vo vjeki vjekov. Amin.
Jedinorodnij Sine, i Slove Božij, bezsmerten sij,
i izvolivij spasenija našego radi, voplotitisja,
ot svjatija Bogorodici i prisno djevi Mariji,
nepreložno vo čelovječivijsja:
raspnijsja že Hriste Bože, smertiju smert popravij,
jedin sij svjatija Troici, sproslavljajemij Ocu i
Svjatomu Duhu, spasi nas.
O only-begotten Son and Word of God, who art
immortal, and yet didst deign for our salvation to
become incarnate of the holy Mother of God and
ever-virgin Mary; Who without change becamedst
man: and wast crucified, O Christ our God, by Thy
death destroying death; Who art one of the Holy
Trinity, glorified together with the Father and the
Holy Spirit: save us!
Достојно и праведно јест,
поклањатисја Оцу, и Сину, и Свјатому Духу,
Тројицје јединосушчњеј и нераздјелњеј.
to worship the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Svjat, svjat, svjat Gospod Savaot,
ispoln nebo i zemlja slavi Tvojeja:
osana vo višnjih,
blagosloven grjadij vo imja Gospodnje,
osana vo višnjih. Amin.
Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth!
Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest. Amen.
Amin, amin.
Amen, amen.
2. (CONTINUED) THE DIVINE LITURGY OF
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
Tebe pojem, Tebe blagoslovim,
Tebje blagodarim, Gospodi,
i molim ti sja Bože naš.
We praise Thee, we bless,
we give thanks to Thee, O Lord;
and we pray to Thee, our God.
Dostojno jest jako vo istinu,
blažiti tja Bogorodicu,
prisnoblaženuju i preneporočnuju,
i mater Boga našego.
Čestnjejšuju heruvim,
i slavnjejšuju bez sravnjenija serafim,
bez istljenija Boga slova roždšuju,
suščuju Bogorodicu, Tja veličajem.
It is truly meet
to call Thee blessed, O Mother of God,
ever-blessed and most pure
and the Mother of our God.
More honourable than the Cherubim
and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim,
Thou who without corruption hast borne God the
Word; Thee, Mother of God, we magnify!
I vsjeh, i vsja. Amin.
And each and all. Amen.
Jedin svjat, jedin Gospod, Isus Hristos,
vo slavu Boga Oca. Amin.
One is holy, One is Lord, Jesus Christ,
to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Hvalite, hvalite, hvalite Gospoda,
hvalite, hvalite, hvalite Gospoda s nebes,
hvalite jego vo višnjih. Aliluja.
Praise Ye the Lord; praise Him from the heavens,
praise Him in the height.
Praise Him in the height. Alleluia.
Blagosloven grjadij vo imja Gospodnje,
Bog Gospod i javisja nam.
Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord:
God is the Lord and hath appeared to us.
Vidjehom svjet istinij,
prijahom Duha nebesnago,
obrjetohom vjeru istinuju,
nerazdjelnjej Troicje poklanjajemsja:
ta bo nas spasla jest.
We have seen the true Light,
we have received the heavenly Spirit,
we have found the true Faith;
we worship the undivided Trinity,
for the same hath saved us.
Amin
Da ispolnjatsja usta naša hvaljenija tvojego,
Gospodi, jako da pojem slavu Tvoju,
jako spodobil jesi nas pričastitisja Svjatim Tvojim,
božestvenim, bezsmertnim i životvorjaščim
tajnam: sobljudi nas vo Tvojej svjatinji, ves den
poučatisja pravdje Tvojej.
Amen.
Let our mouth be filled with Thy praise,
O Lord, that we may sing of Thy glory;
for Thou hast made us worthy to partake of Thy
holy, divine, immortal and life-giving mysteries:
Preserve us in Thy holiness, that we may learn of
Thy righteousness all the day long.
Amin
Budi imja Gospodnje blagosloveno
ot ninje i do vjeka. Amin.
Amen.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
from henceforth and for evermore. Amen.
Amin.
Amen.
3. OPELO - PARASTOS
3. FUNERAL SERVICE (REQUIEM)
Podaj, Gospodi.
Grant it, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy. Amen
Njest svjat, jakože ti, Gospodi Bože moj, voznesij
rog vjernih tvojih, blaže, i utverdivij nas na
kameni ispovedanija tvojego.
No one is as Holy as Thou, O Lord my God, lift up the
glory of Thy faithful, O blessed One, and make us
firm as rock in our confession of Thou.
So svjatimi upokoj, Hriste, dušu raba tvojego,
idježe njest, boljezan, ni pečal, ni vozdihanije,
no žizan bezkonečnaja.
With the saints give rest, O Christ, to the soul of Thy
servant, where there is no pain, no sorrow, no sighing,
but life without end.
Dusi i duši pravednih voshvaljat tja Gospodi.
Spirits and souls of the righteous bless Thee, O Lord.
Vječnaja pamjat, vječnaja pamjat.
Eternal memory. Eternal memory.
4. TEBE BOGA HVALIM
4. WE PRAISE THEE (TE DEUM)
Tebe Boga hvalim, tebe Gospoda ispovjedujem,
tebe prevječnago Oca vsja zemlja veličajet.
We praise Thee, O God; we acknowledge Thee to be
the Lord. All the earth doth worship Thee, the Father
everlasting.
Tebe vsi angeli, tebje nebesa i vsja sili,
tebje heruvimi i serafimi neprestanimi glasi
vzivajut:
Svjat, svjat, svjat Gospod Bog Savaot,
polni sut nebesa i zemlja veličestva slavi tvojeja.
To Thee all the Angels cry aloud; the Heavens,
and all the Powers therein,
to Thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God the Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy Glory.
Tebe ubo prosim: pomozi rabom tvoim, spasi,
Gospodi, ljudi tvoja i blagoslovi dostojanije tvoje.
We therefore pray Thee, help Thy servants,
O Lord, save Thy people, and bless Thine heritage.
i ninje i prisno i vo vjeki vjekov, amin.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, to the Holy Spirit,
now and ever, and unto ages of ages, amen.
Aliluja, aliluja, aliluja, slava tebe Bože.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God.
5. RADUJSJA
5. HAIL, BRIDE
Radujsja, nevjesto nenevjestnaja.
Aliluja.
Hail, Bride without the bridegroom,
Alleluia
TEXT SOURCES:
STEVAN ST. MOKRANJAC, Complete Works, Volume 4, Sacred Music I LITURGY (1994)
Liturgical text (2), translated by Mother Marija of Gradac.
STEVAN ST. MOKRANJAC, Complete Works, Volume 5, Sacred Music II (1995)
All other texts (1, 3, 4 & 5), translated by Archdeacon Radomir Rakić.
Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, for Cantors
Transliterated text prepared by St. Luke’s Serbian Orthodox Mission, sv-luka.org
MOKRANJAC 09
2. (NASTAVAK) BOŽANSTVENA LITURGIJA
2. (CONTINUED) THE DIVINE LITURGY OF
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
Tebe pojem, Tebe blagoslovim,
Tebje blagodarim, Gospodi,
i molim ti sja Bože naš.
We praise Thee, we bless,
we give thanks to Thee, O Lord;
and we pray to Thee, our God.
Dostojno jest jako vo istinu,
blažiti tja Bogorodicu,
prisnoblaženuju i preneporočnuju,
i mater Boga našego.
Čestnjejšuju heruvim,
i slavnjejšuju bez sravnjenija serafim,
bez istljenija Boga slova roždšuju,
suščuju Bogorodicu, Tja veličajem.
It is truly meet
to call Thee blessed, O Mother of God,
ever-blessed and most pure
and the Mother of our God.
More honourable than the Cherubim
and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim,
Thou who without corruption hast borne God the
Word; Thee, Mother of God, we magnify!
I vsjeh, i vsja. Amin.
And each and all. Amen.
Jedin svjat, jedin Gospod, Isus Hristos,
vo slavu Boga Oca. Amin.
One is holy, One is Lord, Jesus Christ,
to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Hvalite, hvalite, hvalite Gospoda,
hvalite, hvalite, hvalite Gospoda s nebes,
hvalite jego vo višnjih. Aliluja.
Praise Ye the Lord; praise Him from the heavens,
praise Him in the height.
Praise Him in the height. Alleluia.
Blagosloven grjadij vo imja Gospodnje,
Bog Gospod i javisja nam.
Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord:
God is the Lord and hath appeared to us.
Vidjehom svjet istinij,
prijahom Duha nebesnago,
obrjetohom vjeru istinuju,
nerazdjelnjej Troicje poklanjajemsja:
ta bo nas spasla jest.
We have seen the true Light,
we have received the heavenly Spirit,
we have found the true Faith;
we worship the undivided Trinity,
for the same hath saved us.
Amin
Da ispolnjatsja usta naša hvaljenija tvojego,
Gospodi, jako da pojem slavu Tvoju,
jako spodobil jesi nas pričastitisja Svjatim Tvojim,
božestvenim, bezsmertnim i životvorjaščim
tajnam: sobljudi nas vo Tvojej svjatinji, ves den
poučatisja pravdje Tvojej.
Amen.
Let our mouth be filled with Thy praise,
O Lord, that we may sing of Thy glory;
for Thou hast made us worthy to partake of Thy
holy, divine, immortal and life-giving mysteries:
Preserve us in Thy holiness, that we may learn of
Thy righteousness all the day long.
Amin
Budi imja Gospodnje blagosloveno
ot ninje i do vjeka. Amin.
Amen.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
from henceforth and for evermore. Amen.
Amin.
Amen.
3. OPELO - PARASTOS
3. FUNERAL SERVICE (REQUIEM)
Podaj, Gospodi.
Grant it, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy. Amen
Njest svjat, jakože ti, Gospodi Bože moj, voznesij
rog vjernih tvojih, blaže, i utverdivij nas na
kameni ispovedanija tvojego.
No one is as Holy as Thou, O Lord my God, lift up the
glory of Thy faithful, O blessed One, and make us
firm as rock in our confession of Thou.
So svjatimi upokoj, Hriste, dušu raba tvojego,
idježe njest, boljezan, ni pečal, ni vozdihanije,
no žizan bezkonečnaja.
With the saints give rest, O Christ, to the soul of Thy
servant, where there is no pain, no sorrow, no sighing,
but life without end.
Dusi i duši pravednih voshvaljat tja Gospodi.
Spirits and souls of the righteous bless Thee, O Lord.
Vječnaja pamjat, vječnaja pamjat.
Eternal memory. Eternal memory.
4. TEBE BOGA HVALIM
4. WE PRAISE THEE (TE DEUM)
Tebe Boga hvalim, tebe Gospoda ispovjedujem,
tebe prevječnago Oca vsja zemlja veličajet.
We praise Thee, O God; we acknowledge Thee to be
the Lord. All the earth doth worship Thee, the Father
everlasting.
Tebe vsi angeli, tebje nebesa i vsja sili,
tebje heruvimi i serafimi neprestanimi glasi
vzivajut:
Svjat, svjat, svjat Gospod Bog Savaot,
polni sut nebesa i zemlja veličestva slavi tvojeja.
To Thee all the Angels cry aloud; the Heavens,
and all the Powers therein,
to Thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God the Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy Glory.
Tebe ubo prosim: pomozi rabom tvoim, spasi,
Gospodi, ljudi tvoja i blagoslovi dostojanije tvoje.
We therefore pray Thee, help Thy servants,
O Lord, save Thy people, and bless Thine heritage.
i ninje i prisno i vo vjeki vjekov, amin.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, to the Holy Spirit,
now and ever, and unto ages of ages, amen.
Aliluja, aliluja, aliluja, slava tebe Bože.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God.
5. RADUJSJA
5. HAIL, BRIDE
Radujsja, nevjesto nenevjestnaja.
Aliluja.
Hail, Bride without the bridegroom,
Alleluia
TEXT SOURCES:
STEVAN ST. MOKRANJAC, Complete Works, Volume 4, Sacred Music I LITURGY (1994)
Liturgical text (2), translated by Mother Marija of Gradac.
STEVAN ST. MOKRANJAC, Complete Works, Volume 5, Sacred Music II (1995)
All other texts (1, 3, 4 & 5), translated by Archdeacon Radomir Rakić.
Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, for Cantors
Transliterated text prepared by St. Luke’s Serbian Orthodox Mission, sv-luka.org
MOKRANJAC 09
2. (NASTAVAK) BOŽANSTVENA LITURGIJA
MOKRANJAC 11
Programme NOTES
ABOUT THE MUSIC
THE FOLLOWING NOTES
ARE EXCERPTS FROM THE
INTRODUCTORY TEXTS TO
STEVAN ST. MOKRANJAC,
COMPLETE WORKS,
VOLUMES 4 & 5,
BY VLASTIMIR PERIČIĆ
AND VOJISLAV ILIĆ,
TRANSLATED BY KARIN
RADOVANOVIĆ AND
DANICA ŠĆEKIĆ.
THE LORD’S PRAYER,
COMPOSED IN 1912
The LORD’S PRAYER (Oče naš)
is in fact the part of a Liturgy,
although Stevan Mokranjac
has not composed this version
while working on his Liturgy,
but much later.
It was not created according
to the traditional church
melodies, like the rest of
the Liturgy, but is his own
composition. It represent one
of his last sacred compositions,
as it has been written by the
already ailing master during
his recovery (July 1912) in the
hotel “Zlatorog”, in the vicinity
of Lake of Bohinj (now in the
Republic of Slovenia).
DIVINE LITURGY OF
ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM,
COMPOSED IN 1894-95
Among Mokranjac’s finest
religious works - in addition
to his Requiem, Hymns for
Good Friday, Akathistos to
the Mother of God, Stasis - is
definitely his Divine Liturgy
after the Serbian Folk Chant.
The Divine Liturgy of St. John
Chrysostom, “in terms of its
depth, expression, polyphonic
and formal values can stand
equal to the best works of
Palestrina”.
Manuscript facsimile of the Cherubic Hymn, from Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, by Mokranjac
With its expressiveness,
unusual melodies, beauty
of shading, tonal colouring,
Mokranjac’s Liturgy is
firmly linked with the
Serbian folk tradition of
church singing - Octoechos.
It is an expression of the
Serbian Orthodox religious
heritage. Its rich, broadreaching, strong harmonies
inspire spiritual joy. “Truly,
above all - in the purity and
beauty of style with which
the inspiration of a master
has produced a brilliant
work of art - a monumental
tonal construction, unique in
Serbian music.”
The aura of venerable Serbian
churches, the melodious
Octoechos, the religious
symbolism of the Liturgy
all enhance feelings of faith
and love. One must indeed
delve deep into the spiritual
environment inhabited by
Mokranjac, with his natural
creative talent, in order to
understand the grandeur of
his Liturgy, its classical beauty
and profound inspiration,
a supreme achievement in
Serbian choral literature.
Mokranjac composed the
Liturgy for use in Orthodox
church services. It is an
expression of the hearty,
broad and also warm feelings
of the pious, God-fearing
Serbian folk. There is joy and
light, darkness, sorrow and
pain. It is firmly connected
with the tradition of Serbian
chant on which it is based.
MOKRANJAC 11
Programme NOTES
ABOUT THE MUSIC
THE FOLLOWING NOTES
ARE EXCERPTS FROM THE
INTRODUCTORY TEXTS TO
COMPLETE WORKS,
VOLUMES 4 & 5,
BY VLASTIMIR PERIČIĆ
AND VOJISLAV ILIĆ,
TRANSLATED BY KARIN
RADOVANOVIĆ AND
DANICA ŠĆEKIĆ.
THE LORD’S PRAYER,
COMPOSED IN 1912
The LORD’S PRAYER (Oče naš)
is in fact the part of a Liturgy,
although Stevan Mokranjac
has not composed this version
while working on his Liturgy,
but much later.
It was not created according
to the traditional church
melodies, like the rest of
the Liturgy, but is his own
composition. It represent one
of his last sacred compositions,
as it has been written by the
already ailing master during
his recovery (July 1912) in the
hotel “Zlatorog”, in the vicinity
of Lake of Bohinj (now in the
Republic of Slovenia).
DIVINE LITURGY OF
ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM,
COMPOSED IN 1894-95
Among Mokranjac’s finest
religious works - in addition
to his Requiem, Hymns for
Good Friday, Akathistos to
the Mother of God, Stasis - is
definitely his Divine Liturgy
after the Serbian Folk Chant.
The Divine Liturgy of St. John
Chrysostom, “in terms of its
depth, expression, polyphonic
and formal values can stand
equal to the best works of
Palestrina”.
Manuscript facsimile of the Cherubic Hymn, from Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, by Mokranjac
With its expressiveness,
unusual melodies, beauty
of shading, tonal colouring,
firmly linked with the
Serbian folk tradition of
church singing - Octoechos.
It is an expression of the
Serbian Orthodox religious
heritage. Its rich, broadreaching, strong harmonies
inspire spiritual joy. “Truly,
above all - in the purity and
beauty of style with which
the inspiration of a master
has produced a brilliant
work of art - a monumental
tonal construction, unique in
Serbian music.”
The aura of venerable Serbian
churches, the melodious
Octoechos, the religious
symbolism of the Liturgy
all enhance feelings of faith
and love. One must indeed
delve deep into the spiritual
environment inhabited by
Mokranjac, with his natural
creative talent, in order to
understand the grandeur of
his Liturgy, its classical beauty
and profound inspiration,
a supreme achievement in
Serbian choral literature.
Mokranjac composed the
Liturgy for use in Orthodox
church services. It is an
expression of the hearty,
broad and also warm feelings
of the pious, God-fearing
Serbian folk. There is joy and
light, darkness, sorrow and
pain. It is firmly connected
with the tradition of Serbian
chant on which it is based.
MOKRANJAC 13
Programme NOTES
ABOUT THE MUSIC
It is composed - “tailored” either from the beginning,
middle or final portions of the
Octoechos and Veliko pojanje
(Great Chant), or from the
whole chants of individual
modes.
Mokranjac’s Liturgy is thus
based not only on the first
mode, but also from parts
of the melodies in the Veliko
pojanje and the Octoechos.
Just as the composer of the
Octoechos - Serbian church
chant - remains anonymous,
so are the “serene monks”
who composed liturgical
texts based on the Octoechos,
thus creating a new tune
- “liturgical” - of splendid
spiritual sonority. Mokranjac
enriched these lovely melodies
with solemn harmonies of
astounding beauty, producing
a magnificent fresco of sound
- the Liturgy - one of the most
beautiful pieces of Orthodox
church music.
FUNERAL SERVICE
(REQUIEM),
COMPOSED IN 1888
The FUNERAL SERVICE REQUIEM (Opelo – Parastos)
composed for a mixed choir,
is found in the Mokranjac’s
manuscript (autograph) under
the title “Parastos - Pomen”
(Slavonic = Panihida), but
with time the name “Opelo”
has been assimilated which,
after all, originates from
Mokranjac himself. Opelo II
(F sharp minor) for a mixed
choir was written for the
occasion of 100th anniversary
of Vuk Karadzić’s birthday in
1888.
The difference, however,
between the “Opelo” and the
“Parastos” as church rituals is
very big. The Opelo is longer
and comprises more than
30 stichera (songs), whereas
the Parastos has about 15
stichera only. Mokranjac
has composed even shorter
comprising only the Litany, No
one is as holy, With the Saints,
Spirits and Souls and Eternal
memory, what is probably
the reason for his putting
the title of “Parastos” in his
manuscript.
The main musical point of
the Funeral service is No one
is as holy (Njest svjat), which
represents Mokranjac’s
masterpiece and is considered
to be among the most beautiful
pages of the Serbian music
creations. That is why it is
often performed separately as
a concert piece.
With the Saints (So svjatimi)
represents even more
expressively Mokranjac’s
psychological, almost
programmatic interpretation
of the verses. The same
applies to the final Eternal
memory (Vjecnaja pamjat),
only that the version in
F sharp minor has the
advantage of already being
thematic and tonal reprise of
the initial Lord, have mercy
(Gospodi pomiluj).
WE PRAISE THEE
(TE DEUM),
COMPOSED IN 1904
HAIL, BRIDE (EXCERPT
FROM AKATHISTOS),
COMPOSED IN 1892
WE PRAISE THEE
(Tebe Boga hvalim),
composed on the basis of
the melody “Slavoslovije”
(Doxology) of the mode
VI, ranks among Stevan
Mokranjac’s best sacred
compositions.
AKATHISTOS (Akatist)
- the song of praise to the
Mother of Jesus; composed
in 1892 is another one of
Mokranjac’s masterpieces
that enthuses the audience
with crystal clear melodic
lines and an expression of
undisturbed serenity. In
this case too, composer
finds the appropriate
psychological expression for
the modest worshiping by
exclaiming “Radujsja, nevjesto
nenevjestnaja” (Hail, Bride
without bridegroom).
That is an Old Church
Slavonic translation of a
well-known old Christian
hymn Te Deum laudamus,
nowadays attributed to the
4th century St. Nicetas of
Remesiana (Bela Palanka,
Serbia). Mokranjac has
written this musical piece in
the year of 1904 as an
integral part of a repertoire
prepared for the coronation
ritual of the Serbian king
Petar I Karadjordjević.
According to the church
ritual, it is also performed
during the religious
services at New Year eve
and the thanksgiving.
During the years, We Praise
Thee has become a very
popular concert piece, thanks
to the skilfully written and
extraordinary sonorous and
effective choral harmony.
Kosta Manojlović, another
Serbian eminent composer,
once remarked “(the song)
reminds one of the Sistine
Madonna and Raffaello’s
paintbrush”.
ALL COMPOSITIONS ARE
PERFORMED USING SCORES
APPEARING IN:
Complete Works Volume 4,
Sacred Music I, Liturgy (1994) &
Volume 5, Sacred Music II (1995)
PUBLISHED BY:
Institute for Textbooks and
Teaching Aids, Publishers •
Belgrade, Serbia
Nota • Publishing House For
Music Editions, Knjazevac, Serbia
MOKRANJAC 13
Programme NOTES
ABOUT THE MUSIC
It is composed - “tailored” either from the beginning,
middle or final portions of the
Octoechos and Veliko pojanje
(Great Chant), or from the
whole chants of individual
modes.
Mokranjac’s Liturgy is thus
based not only on the first
mode, but also from parts
of the melodies in the Veliko
pojanje and the Octoechos.
Just as the composer of the
Octoechos - Serbian church
chant - remains anonymous,
so are the “serene monks”
who composed liturgical
texts based on the Octoechos,
thus creating a new tune
- “liturgical” - of splendid
spiritual sonority. Mokranjac
enriched these lovely melodies
with solemn harmonies of
astounding beauty, producing
a magnificent fresco of sound
- the Liturgy - one of the most
beautiful pieces of Orthodox
church music.
FUNERAL SERVICE
(REQUIEM),
COMPOSED IN 1888
The FUNERAL SERVICE REQUIEM (Opelo – Parastos)
composed for a mixed choir,
is found in the Mokranjac’s
manuscript (autograph) under
the title “Parastos - Pomen”
(Slavonic = Panihida), but
with time the name “Opelo”
has been assimilated which,
after all, originates from
Mokranjac himself. Opelo II
(F sharp minor) for a mixed
choir was written for the
occasion of 100th anniversary
of Vuk Karadzić’s birthday in
1888.
The difference, however,
between the “Opelo” and the
“Parastos” as church rituals is
very big. The Opelo is longer
and comprises more than
30 stichera (songs), whereas
the Parastos has about 15
stichera only. Mokranjac
has composed even shorter
comprising only the Litany, No
one is as holy, With the Saints,
Spirits and Souls and Eternal
memory, what is probably
the reason for his putting
the title of “Parastos” in his
manuscript.
The main musical point of
the Funeral service is No one
is as holy (Njest svjat), which
represents Mokranjac’s
masterpiece and is considered
to be among the most beautiful
pages of the Serbian music
creations. That is why it is
often performed separately as
a concert piece.
With the Saints (So svjatimi)
represents even more
expressively Mokranjac’s
psychological, almost
programmatic interpretation
of the verses. The same
applies to the final Eternal
memory (Vjecnaja pamjat),
only that the version in
F sharp minor has the
advantage of already being
thematic and tonal reprise of
the initial Lord, have mercy
(Gospodi pomiluj).
WE PRAISE THEE
(TE DEUM),
COMPOSED IN 1904
HAIL, BRIDE (EXCERPT
FROM AKATHISTOS),
COMPOSED IN 1892
WE PRAISE THEE
(Tebe Boga hvalim),
composed on the basis of
the melody “Slavoslovije”
(Doxology) of the mode
VI, ranks among Stevan
Mokranjac’s best sacred
compositions.
AKATHISTOS (Akatist)
- the song of praise to the
Mother of Jesus; composed
in 1892 is another one of
Mokranjac’s masterpieces
that enthuses the audience
with crystal clear melodic
lines and an expression of
undisturbed serenity. In
this case too, composer
finds the appropriate
psychological expression for
the modest worshiping by
exclaiming “Radujsja, nevjesto
nenevjestnaja” (Hail, Bride
without bridegroom).
That is an Old Church
Slavonic translation of a
well-known old Christian
hymn Te Deum laudamus,
nowadays attributed to the
4th century St. Nicetas of
Remesiana (Bela Palanka,
Serbia). Mokranjac has
written this musical piece in
the year of 1904 as an
integral part of a repertoire
prepared for the coronation
ritual of the Serbian king
Petar I Karadjordjević.
According to the church
ritual, it is also performed
during the religious
services at New Year eve
and the thanksgiving.
During the years, We Praise
Thee has become a very
popular concert piece, thanks
to the skilfully written and
extraordinary sonorous and
effective choral harmony.
Kosta Manojlović, another
Serbian eminent composer,
once remarked “(the song)
reminds one of the Sistine
Madonna and Raffaello’s
paintbrush”.
ALL COMPOSITIONS ARE
PERFORMED USING SCORES
APPEARING IN:
Complete Works Volume 4,
Sacred Music I, Liturgy (1994) &
Volume 5, Sacred Music II (1995)
PUBLISHED BY:
Institute for Textbooks and
Teaching Aids, Publishers •
Belgrade, Serbia
Nota • Publishing House For
Music Editions, Knjazevac, Serbia
MOKRANJAC 15
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
MOKRANJAC
is the most outstanding figure
in Serbian music at the turn of
the 19th and 20th centuries.
STEVAN STOJANOVIĆ
MOKRANJAC
B. 9 JAN 1856 NEGOTIN,
D. 30 SEP 1914 SKOPLJE
Mokranjac was born in
Negotin on January 9, 1856,
Completing grammar school
in Belgrade, attracted by
the positivist ideas exposed
by Svetozar Marković, he
enrolled at the Department
of Natural Sciences and
Mathematics of the High
School (later Belgrade
University). Having already
shown an interest in music
while in grammar school,
he joined the First Belgrade
Choral Society. Seeing him
as a successor to Kornelije
Stanković, this society enabled
him to go to study in Munich
in 1879. In 1883 he had to
discontinue his studies,
resuming them in 1884-85 in
Rome, then in 1885-87 at the
Leipzig conservatory.
At this point Mokranjac began
his long and varied music
career in Belgrade. By 1884
he had already distinguished
himself leading the Kornelije
Stanković Choir, and from
1887 until the and of his life
he was director of the First
Belgrade Choral Society, which
developed under his guidance
into a first-class ensemble. He
toured with this society, giving
concerts throughout Serbia,
other South Slav lands and
foreign countries, serving as
a kind of cultural ambassador
of Serbia (1893 - Dubrovnik,
Cetinje; 1894 - Thessaloniki,
Skoplje, Budapest; 1895 Istanbul, Sofia, Plovdiv; 1896
- St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev;
1899 - Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig;
1910 - Sarajevo, Split, Cetinje;
1911 - Trieste, Rijeka, Zagreb).
Occasionally he directed other
choirs (Jaksić Typographers
Chorus, Serbian-Jewish Chorus).
His activities were diverse.
From 1887 until 1900 he
taught music at the First
Belgrade Grammar School
and after 1901 at the Faculty
of Theology. In 1899 under
the auspices of the First
Belgrade Choral Society he
co-founded the Serbian Music
School in Belgrade, Serbia’s
first permanent music school,
remaining its director and a
teacher his whole life. With
F. Mater, St. Dram and J.
Svoboda, he started Serbia’s
first string quartet, which
played a pioneer role from
1889 until 1893, cultivating
chamber music in these parts
of Europe. At the founding
meeting of the Serbian
Musicians Society (1907) he
was elected chairman. In 1906
he was especially honoured by
being elected corresponding
member of the Serbian Royal
Academy (today the Serbian
Academy of Sciences and Arts).
In 1912 ill health obliged him
gradually to abandon his duties
as director of the First Belgrade
Choral Society. He died during
the night of September 29
and 30, 1914 in Skoplje where
he had taken refuge with his
family at the outbreak of the
First World War.
With a few exceptions (some
solo songs, music for a play
Ivko’s Saint’s Day, five fugues
for string instruments during
his student days) Mokranjac’s
entire opus consists of
choral music. In his fifteen
“Garlands of songs” (Rukoveti)
he created a classic pattern
for the artistic stylisation
of folk songs and provided
a firm basis for the national
movement in Serbian music.
The “garland” pattern also
includes Coastal Melodies
(Primorski napjevi), and
partly the arrangements of
Hungarian, Turkish, Russian
and Romanian songs (some of
these were written when the
First Belgrade Choral Society
was touring abroad).
Less important are his
compositions setting verse
to music. Of special interest
is his witty choral scherzo
Goatherd (Kozar), one of his
finest achievements in the
creative use of folk themes.
Mokranjac devoted a large
part of his opus to Orthodox
religious music, based largely
on the traditional chanting
in Serbian churches. This
includes his monumental
Divine Liturgy of St. John
Chrysostom, Requiem,
Akathistos, Two songs for
Good Friday, We Praise Te,
Glorification of St. Sava, and
other works comparable in
quality to his best in secular
music.
Closely associated with
his composing was his
melographic work: recording
the folk songs of Kosovo
(only a small part published
posthumously), a collection
of Folk Songs and Dances from
Levach and two important
collections of church chants:
Octoechos and Feast Chants.
The forewords to the Folk
Songs and Octoechos were
the first studies in Serbian
ethnomusicology.
Yet, what is it that makes
Mokranjac’s works seem so
alive and fresh today, when
many contemporary Serbian
composers have been all but
forgotten? The reason is not
simply that almost his entire
opus was inspired by the folk
idiom (or traditional church
music), as Mokranjac was
not the only one to do this.
Mokranjac plunged deeper
into the spirit of the folk
melody, emphasizing through
stylisation, the hidden
values of anonymous folk
tradition. With a sure hand
he selected from this treasury
what was most valuable and
what best reflected the spirit
and life of the people. Here
one can notice traces of the
realistic approach which
were certainly not accidental,
since Mokranjac’s early
stages are concurrent with
the development of realism
in Serbian literature. He
clad folk motifs in robes of
pure, rich choral harmony,
framing them in a coherent
formal structures. Thus,
the “adaptation” of folk
melodies became original
compositions, and for several
decades Mokranjac was a
model for all contemporary
Serbian composers attempting
a national music idiom.
Such composers appeared
in later generations as well,
and Mokranjac’s influenced
composers with similar
aspirations among other
Yugoslav peoples.
The religious music composed
by Stevan St. Mokranjac
surpasses in quantity and
possibly in quality his secular
music. Of the 500 secular folk
tunes that he noted down,
he used 90 in his choral
compositions Garlands of songs
(Rukoveti), whereas from his
recordings of over 2,000 pieces
of church music he created
works of the highest order.
His collection of religious
music was published in the
Octoechos (328 hymns) and
Chants for Feast Days (over
1500 stichera, prokeimena,
megalynaria, cherubika,
heirmoi and sessional hymns),
while many works which
remained in a manuscript form
were beatitudes, troparia and
kontakia for particular church
feasts.
In the Serbian church
melodies that he recorded,
Mokranjac “discovered,
selected and enhanced the
psychological harmonies
buried deep in the soul of
Serbian people, making it
difficult to believe that these
people could have created
anything of this order”.
Excerpts from the
Stevan St. Mokranjac,
Complete Works by Vlastimir
Peričić and Vojislav Ilić
Translated by Karin Radovanović
and Danica Šćekić
MOKRANJAC 15
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
MOKRANJAC
is the most outstanding figure
in Serbian music at the turn of
the 19th and 20th centuries.
STEVAN STOJANOVIĆ
MOKRANJAC
B. 9 JAN 1856 NEGOTIN,
D. 30 SEP 1914 SKOPLJE
Mokranjac was born in
Negotin on January 9, 1856,
Completing grammar school
in Belgrade, attracted by
the positivist ideas exposed
by Svetozar Marković, he
enrolled at the Department
of Natural Sciences and
Mathematics of the High
School (later Belgrade
University). Having already
shown an interest in music
while in grammar school,
he joined the First Belgrade
Choral Society. Seeing him
as a successor to Kornelije
Stanković, this society enabled
him to go to study in Munich
in 1879. In 1883 he had to
discontinue his studies,
resuming them in 1884-85 in
Rome, then in 1885-87 at the
Leipzig conservatory.
At this point Mokranjac began
his long and varied music
career in Belgrade. By 1884
he had already distinguished
himself leading the Kornelije
Stanković Choir, and from
1887 until the and of his life
he was director of the First
Belgrade Choral Society, which
developed under his guidance
into a first-class ensemble. He
toured with this society, giving
concerts throughout Serbia,
other South Slav lands and
foreign countries, serving as
a kind of cultural ambassador
of Serbia (1893 - Dubrovnik,
Cetinje; 1894 - Thessaloniki,
Skoplje, Budapest; 1895 Istanbul, Sofia, Plovdiv; 1896
- St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev;
1899 - Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig;
1910 - Sarajevo, Split, Cetinje;
1911 - Trieste, Rijeka, Zagreb).
Occasionally he directed other
choirs (Jaksić Typographers
Chorus, Serbian-Jewish Chorus).
His activities were diverse.
From 1887 until 1900 he
taught music at the First
Belgrade Grammar School
and after 1901 at the Faculty
of Theology. In 1899 under
the auspices of the First
Belgrade Choral Society he
co-founded the Serbian Music
School in Belgrade, Serbia’s
first permanent music school,
remaining its director and a
teacher his whole life. With
F. Mater, St. Dram and J.
Svoboda, he started Serbia’s
first string quartet, which
played a pioneer role from
1889 until 1893, cultivating
chamber music in these parts
of Europe. At the founding
meeting of the Serbian
Musicians Society (1907) he
was elected chairman. In 1906
he was especially honoured by
being elected corresponding
member of the Serbian Royal
Academy (today the Serbian
Academy of Sciences and Arts).
In 1912 ill health obliged him
gradually to abandon his duties
as director of the First Belgrade
Choral Society. He died during
the night of September 29
and 30, 1914 in Skoplje where
he had taken refuge with his
family at the outbreak of the
First World War.
With a few exceptions (some
solo songs, music for a play
Ivko’s Saint’s Day, five fugues
for string instruments during
his student days) Mokranjac’s
entire opus consists of
choral music. In his fifteen
“Garlands of songs” (Rukoveti)
he created a classic pattern
for the artistic stylisation
of folk songs and provided
a firm basis for the national
movement in Serbian music.
The “garland” pattern also
includes Coastal Melodies
(Primorski napjevi), and
partly the arrangements of
Hungarian, Turkish, Russian
and Romanian songs (some of
these were written when the
First Belgrade Choral Society
was touring abroad).
Less important are his
compositions setting verse
to music. Of special interest
is his witty choral scherzo
Goatherd (Kozar), one of his
finest achievements in the
creative use of folk themes.
Mokranjac devoted a large
part of his opus to Orthodox
religious music, based largely
on the traditional chanting
in Serbian churches. This
includes his monumental
Divine Liturgy of St. John
Chrysostom, Requiem,
Akathistos, Two songs for
Good Friday, We Praise Te,
Glorification of St. Sava, and
other works comparable in
quality to his best in secular
music.
Closely associated with
his composing was his
melographic work: recording
the folk songs of Kosovo
(only a small part published
posthumously), a collection
of Folk Songs and Dances from
Levach and two important
collections of church chants:
Octoechos and Feast Chants.
The forewords to the Folk
Songs and Octoechos were
the first studies in Serbian
ethnomusicology.
Yet, what is it that makes
Mokranjac’s works seem so
alive and fresh today, when
many contemporary Serbian
composers have been all but
forgotten? The reason is not
simply that almost his entire
opus was inspired by the folk
idiom (or traditional church
music), as Mokranjac was
not the only one to do this.
Mokranjac plunged deeper
into the spirit of the folk
melody, emphasizing through
stylisation, the hidden
values of anonymous folk
tradition. With a sure hand
he selected from this treasury
what was most valuable and
what best reflected the spirit
and life of the people. Here
one can notice traces of the
realistic approach which
were certainly not accidental,
since Mokranjac’s early
stages are concurrent with
the development of realism
in Serbian literature. He
clad folk motifs in robes of
pure, rich choral harmony,
framing them in a coherent
formal structures. Thus,
the “adaptation” of folk
melodies became original
compositions, and for several
decades Mokranjac was a
model for all contemporary
Serbian composers attempting
a national music idiom.
Such composers appeared
in later generations as well,
and Mokranjac’s influenced
composers with similar
aspirations among other
Yugoslav peoples.
The religious music composed
by Stevan St. Mokranjac
surpasses in quantity and
possibly in quality his secular
music. Of the 500 secular folk
tunes that he noted down,
he used 90 in his choral
compositions Garlands of songs
(Rukoveti), whereas from his
recordings of over 2,000 pieces
of church music he created
works of the highest order.
His collection of religious
music was published in the
Octoechos (328 hymns) and
Chants for Feast Days (over
1500 stichera, prokeimena,
megalynaria, cherubika,
heirmoi and sessional hymns),
while many works which
remained in a manuscript form
were beatitudes, troparia and
kontakia for particular church
feasts.
In the Serbian church
melodies that he recorded,
Mokranjac “discovered,
selected and enhanced the
psychological harmonies
buried deep in the soul of
Serbian people, making it
difficult to believe that these
people could have created
anything of this order”.
Excerpts from the
Stevan St. Mokranjac,
Complete Works by Vlastimir
Peričić and Vojislav Ilić
Translated by Karin Radovanović
and Danica Šćekić
MOKRANJAC 17
MOKRANJAC
and the Serbian Classical Music
As in all other countries
belonging to the so-called
European periphery,
composers in Serbia faced
the problem of asserting
both their belonging to the
European musical community
and having specific
differences. The former had to
be displayed by their musical
craftsmanship and creative
individuality, while the latter
were conveyed through the
introduction of native folk
elements as tokens of a specific
identity.
Stevan Mokranjac (18561914) was the key-figure
among Serbian composers
before World War I. On
his numerous tours abroad
(Thessaloniki, Budapest, Sofia,
Istanbul, Berlin, Dresden,
Leipzig, Moscow), he received
considerable appraisal for
his choral works, which were
primarily suites based on folk
music (“Garlands of songs”).
The most important part of
Stevan Mokranjac’s output
are his Garlands of songs and
church music, both composed
for a cappella choir (Serbian
church music is traditionally
vocal a cappella music), but
he also composed some works
for voice and piano, for strings
and incidental music.
Mokranjac was only two years
younger than Leos Janacek,
but the Czech master outlived
him by 14 years. Both of
them studied for a while in
Leipzig, though not at the
same time (Janacek in 1879,
Mokranjac in 1885-87). There
is, however, a great difference
between their works, which
is quite understandable
when their native social and
cultural milieus are taken into
consideration.
The overall Czech musical
culture that gave birth to
Czech musical nationalism,
provided strong support
for Janacek as a composer.
His predecessors - Bedrich
Smetana, Antonin Dvorak
and a number of other Czech
composers - had successfully
integrated their nationally
orientated music into the
European developments.
During that time, Serbian
musicians were still fighting
to achieve European standards
of music culture.
Russian composers are
deliberately not mentioned in
relation to Stevan Mokranjac
because their music - apart
from church music - was little
known in Serbia before World
War I. It was only the next
generation of composers that
came under the influence of
Russian music, and that, via
Prague. Some similarities in
musical thinking between
Mokranjac and the Russians
could be explained by
common characteristics in
musical folklore, as well as
essentially similar ideological
frameworks.
Like Stevan Mokranjac,
the young generation of
Serbian composers studied
abroad, mostly in Germany,
during the first and second
decades of 20th century.
Consequently, they adopted
a western (i.e. CentralEuropean) stance in the
evaluation of Mokranjac and
other domestic composers.
They called him the “Serbian
Palestrina”. These composers
highly valued Mokranjac’s
ability to select what was
typical in folklore and to
create organic forms on the
basis of folk music, and they
particularly praised the way
he stylized folk melodies.
They were also aware that
Mokranjac had succeeded
in penetrating the “laws”
of latent harmony hidden
in folk melodies and thus
fully displayed their magic.
On the other hand, some
members of the generations
of composers following
Mokranjac, criticized him
directly or indirectly for
the lack of a bolder, more
elaborate approach to the
use of folk melodies, for
keeping to little more than
simple harmonisations, and
for restricting himself to
choral a cappella music. By
that, they essentially meant
that Mokranjac ought to
have composed elaborate
instrumental and vocalinstrumental works, and not
just clung to choral music,
despite his creative efforts.
Mokranjac was respected as
the father of Serbian national
music. Mokranjac’s most
talented successors knew
that it was the historical task
of their generation to attain
international recognition of
Serbian music, by leaning on
Mokranjac’s heritage - by
using it as the basis for works
that would explore wider
formal conceptions and more
modern forms of expression
more closely resembling
contemporary developments
in European music.
We should note that
Mokranjac’s orientation to
choral music was probably due
to his position as a conductor
of the renowned First Belgrade
Choral Society, the choir which
gave the first performances of
all his compositions. It could
be concluded that he simply
was not attracted to orchestral
sounds, preferring instead
vocal expression.
It is also possible that he was
so impressed by Alessandro
Parisotti’s lectures on vocal
polyphony in Rome (1884-85)
that he decided to devote his
talent and skills to that genre.
According to some scholars,
Mokranjac produced the kind
of music that the Serbian
audience demanded and was
receptive to.
Mokranjac’s predecessors
were usually designated as
folklorists, along with some
of his minor successors, and
strangely enough, though
only exceptionally, so was
Mokranjac himself. The
reason for the latter stemmed
from the ambivalence
regarding the evaluation
of Mokranjac’s choral
suites either as a series
of harmonised folk songs
or as “real”, fully artistic
compositions. The dominant
view today is that Mokranjac
was an exquisite composer
who devoted his talent to a
modest medium, but who
knew how to compose works
characterized by the use of
refined harmonies, formal
perfection, and a balanced
use of homophony and
counterpoint.
Serbian composers active
in the first decades of the
century often stressed the
importance of founding a
national musical style based
on typically Serbian folk
music, which remained free
from foreign influences.
The several centuries of
occupation under Ottoman
rule had led to the penetration
of some oriental - Turkish but
also Gypsy - elements into
Serbian folk music, leaving
only rural areas untouched.
Therefore pure folklore was
sought from rural areas
that had conserved archaic
and authentic features. It
was generally assumed that
Stevan Mokranjac knew
how to choose genuine folk
melodies, the best example
being his tenth Garland, but
it is noteworthy that the two
most popular tunes from that
work, belong to Mokranjac’s
own invention.
For Stevan Mokranjac and his
predecessors, it was common
practice to introduce authentic
folk tunes, more or less
modified, into their works,
but sometimes they wrote
tunes that, while being their
own, had a folk-like character.
Many composers built their
own collections of folk music
that they brought from
villages. This method was seen
as a problem by composers of
the following generation, who
became aware that under the
influence of Smetana’s works
a certain transposition or
composing “in the spirit of folk
music” was more appreciated
than the use of citations.
Excerpts from
“The National Idea in Serbian
Music of the 20th Century” 2002
by Melita Milin, Musicologist
(Belgrade, Serbia)
MOKRANJAC 17
MOKRANJAC
and the Serbian Classical Music
As in all other countries
belonging to the so-called
European periphery,
composers in Serbia faced
the problem of asserting
both their belonging to the
European musical community
and having specific
differences. The former had to
be displayed by their musical
craftsmanship and creative
individuality, while the latter
were conveyed through the
introduction of native folk
elements as tokens of a specific
identity.
Stevan Mokranjac (18561914) was the key-figure
among Serbian composers
before World War I. On
his numerous tours abroad
(Thessaloniki, Budapest, Sofia,
Istanbul, Berlin, Dresden,
Leipzig, Moscow), he received
considerable appraisal for
his choral works, which were
primarily suites based on folk
music (“Garlands of songs”).
The most important part of
Stevan Mokranjac’s output
are his Garlands of songs and
church music, both composed
for a cappella choir (Serbian
church music is traditionally
vocal a cappella music), but
he also composed some works
for voice and piano, for strings
and incidental music.
Mokranjac was only two years
younger than Leos Janacek,
but the Czech master outlived
him by 14 years. Both of
them studied for a while in
Leipzig, though not at the
same time (Janacek in 1879,
Mokranjac in 1885-87). There
is, however, a great difference
between their works, which
is quite understandable
when their native social and
cultural milieus are taken into
consideration.
The overall Czech musical
culture that gave birth to
Czech musical nationalism,
provided strong support
for Janacek as a composer.
His predecessors - Bedrich
Smetana, Antonin Dvorak
and a number of other Czech
composers - had successfully
integrated their nationally
orientated music into the
European developments.
During that time, Serbian
musicians were still fighting
to achieve European standards
of music culture.
Russian composers are
deliberately not mentioned in
relation to Stevan Mokranjac
because their music - apart
from church music - was little
known in Serbia before World
War I. It was only the next
generation of composers that
came under the influence of
Russian music, and that, via
Prague. Some similarities in
musical thinking between
Mokranjac and the Russians
could be explained by
common characteristics in
musical folklore, as well as
essentially similar ideological
frameworks.
Like Stevan Mokranjac,
the young generation of
Serbian composers studied
abroad, mostly in Germany,
during the first and second
decades of 20th century.
Consequently, they adopted
a western (i.e. CentralEuropean) stance in the
evaluation of Mokranjac and
other domestic composers.
They called him the “Serbian
Palestrina”. These composers
highly valued Mokranjac’s
ability to select what was
typical in folklore and to
create organic forms on the
basis of folk music, and they
particularly praised the way
he stylized folk melodies.
They were also aware that
Mokranjac had succeeded
in penetrating the “laws”
of latent harmony hidden
in folk melodies and thus
fully displayed their magic.
On the other hand, some
members of the generations
of composers following
Mokranjac, criticized him
directly or indirectly for
the lack of a bolder, more
elaborate approach to the
use of folk melodies, for
keeping to little more than
simple harmonisations, and
for restricting himself to
choral a cappella music. By
that, they essentially meant
that Mokranjac ought to
have composed elaborate
instrumental and vocalinstrumental works, and not
just clung to choral music,
despite his creative efforts.
Mokranjac was respected as
the father of Serbian national
music. Mokranjac’s most
talented successors knew
that it was the historical task
of their generation to attain
international recognition of
Serbian music, by leaning on
Mokranjac’s heritage - by
using it as the basis for works
that would explore wider
formal conceptions and more
modern forms of expression
more closely resembling
contemporary developments
in European music.
We should note that
Mokranjac’s orientation to
choral music was probably due
to his position as a conductor
of the renowned First Belgrade
Choral Society, the choir which
gave the first performances of
all his compositions. It could
be concluded that he simply
was not attracted to orchestral
sounds, preferring instead
vocal expression.
It is also possible that he was
so impressed by Alessandro
Parisotti’s lectures on vocal
polyphony in Rome (1884-85)
that he decided to devote his
talent and skills to that genre.
According to some scholars,
Mokranjac produced the kind
of music that the Serbian
audience demanded and was
receptive to.
Mokranjac’s predecessors
were usually designated as
folklorists, along with some
of his minor successors, and
strangely enough, though
only exceptionally, so was
Mokranjac himself. The
reason for the latter stemmed
from the ambivalence
regarding the evaluation
of Mokranjac’s choral
suites either as a series
of harmonised folk songs
or as “real”, fully artistic
compositions. The dominant
view today is that Mokranjac
was an exquisite composer
who devoted his talent to a
modest medium, but who
knew how to compose works
characterized by the use of
refined harmonies, formal
perfection, and a balanced
use of homophony and
counterpoint.
Serbian composers active
in the first decades of the
century often stressed the
importance of founding a
national musical style based
on typically Serbian folk
music, which remained free
from foreign influences.
The several centuries of
occupation under Ottoman
rule had led to the penetration
of some oriental - Turkish but
also Gypsy - elements into
Serbian folk music, leaving
only rural areas untouched.
Therefore pure folklore was
sought from rural areas
that had conserved archaic
and authentic features. It
was generally assumed that
Stevan Mokranjac knew
how to choose genuine folk
melodies, the best example
being his tenth Garland, but
it is noteworthy that the two
most popular tunes from that
work, belong to Mokranjac’s
own invention.
For Stevan Mokranjac and his
predecessors, it was common
practice to introduce authentic
folk tunes, more or less
modified, into their works,
but sometimes they wrote
tunes that, while being their
own, had a folk-like character.
Many composers built their
own collections of folk music
that they brought from
villages. This method was seen
as a problem by composers of
the following generation, who
became aware that under the
influence of Smetana’s works
a certain transposition or
composing “in the spirit of folk
music” was more appreciated
than the use of citations.
Excerpts from
“The National Idea in Serbian
Music of the 20th Century” 2002
by Melita Milin, Musicologist
(Belgrade, Serbia)
MOKRANJAC 19
Performers
Aleksa’ in 1991.
Sanja left Bosnia as a refugee in
1993, and post-war she led many
choirs: in Germany the church
choir of the St. Luke the Apostle,
in Melbourne children’s choir
at the Serbian Orthodox Church
‘St. Stephen the Archdeacon’,
where she has been the
conductor of the church choir
‘Kornelije Stanković’ since its
founding in 2000.
SANJA DRLJAČA,
CONDUCTOR AND
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
A distinguished music teacher,
Sanja started her career in
Bosnia. She taught accordion,
piano and choral singing in
no less than four primary
and secondary music schools,
while she became the first
accordion teacher in the
Secondary Music School in
Sarajevo. During this period
Sanja composed and wrote
songs for children, winning
twice the first prize at
Children’s music festivals.
The pinnacle of her career,
at the pre-war time, was
her appointment as the
conductor of women’s vocal
octet ‘Collegium Artisticum’
of Sarajevo, as part of the
‘Sarajevo’s Winter’ following
the Winter Olympiad in 1984.
With the octet she toured
extensively throughout
Europe and former
Yugoslavia, and recorded
songs for the film ‘My brother
In 2004 Sanja took the choir
‘Lazarica’ from St Lazarus
Serbian Orthodox Church in
Alexandria (Sydney) on a tour
of Serbia. It was the first visit
to Serbia by a community
choir from Australia.
In February 2000 Sanja
co-founded the community
female choir ‘Balkan Voices’,
which over the years
transformed into the mixed
choir under the name of
Serbian Choral Society.
Sanja conducted choir
workshops at The Boite Singers’
Festival in 2008 and 2009.
For her outstanding voluntary
contribution to the Serbian
community of Victoria,
Sanja received the Victorian
Government’s prestigious
Multicultural Awards for
Excellence - the Meritorious
Service to the Community
Award in 2014.
Sanja continues her
professional career as
music educator in Australia
through her own music school
‘Collegium Artisticum’ in
Dandenong (Melbourne), where
she teaches performance on
various musical instruments to
AMEB grade students.
SAVA DJUKIC,
BARITONE
Born in Melbourne, Sava
has worked as a professional
musician for over 15 years. He
has a Bachelor of Music and
a Diploma of Education, and
has been a high school music
teacher in Australia and New
Zealand for the past 10 years.
His Musical Theatre credits
include several minor and
chorus roles, but a career
highlight was playing a lead
role as ‘Caiaphas’ in Jesus
Christ Superstar in New
Zealand. He has musically
directed numerous shows,
been an orchestral and concert
band conductor, as well as
directed several sacred and
secular choirs both a cappella
and accompanied.
Since 2011, Sava has been
singing with SUADE,
Australia’s top male a
cappella group, which tours
internationally and nationally.
ALAN DE NIESE,
PRESENTER
Alan de Niese was born in Sri
Lanka to a family of singers
and musicians. He has sung
in The Melbourne Chorale,
Victoria Chorale and The de
Niese Family Choir, as well
as performed as a soloist.
Alan has also been cantor at
various Catholic churches and
parishes in Melbourne. He is
currently radio presenter of
“Wednesday Night at the Opera”
on 3MBS 103.5 FM, and monthly
guest on Chris Gaffney’s
long-standing program “Great
Voices” on 3CR 855 AM..
SERBIAN CHORAL SOCIETY
THE CHOIR
Serbian Choral Society (in
Serbian - Srpsko Pevačko
Društvo) is an independent
Serbian community choir
based in Melbourne. It is an
‘a cappella’ ensemble, keen on
achieving high artistic value
in their performances.
The choir tends to perform at
various events within Serbian
and other ethnic communities
at least 4 to 5 times per year.
The SCS maintains a vigorous
cooperation with Serbian and
other ethnic choirs, artistic
and folk groups. In addition,
the choir participates in other
non-ethnic based events, like
festivals, eisteddfods and
memorial services.
Chronologically, the choir had
seen three distinct periods in
their work, spanning more
than 15 years of community
involvement.
Early Period
The choir was founded by its
conductor and artistic director
Sanja Drljaca in February
2000. At the time, it was born
as a female octet under the
name of Balkan Voices (in
Serbian - Balkanski Glasovi).
Balkan Voices had many
performances, mostly within
the Serbian community, but
also in independent events.
The most notable was their
first annual concert held in
September 2003.
Sometime after the annual
concert, due to long term
health problems of several
members, there was a pause in
the choir performance activity
for several years.
Mixed Choir
The choir was formally reborn
by popular demand in March
2010, again as Balkan Voices.
This time the group was formed
as a mixed choir, including
male voices for the first time.
The new Balkan Voices
performed on various
occasions in front of Serbian
and Australian audiences at
multicultural events.
Choral Society
The new chapter in life of the
choir began in September
2013, when the choir formally
incorporated as an association
under the new name - Serbian
Choral Society Inc, and with
new goals for themselves.
The Choir performs a variety
of Serbian music - sacred
and secular compositions
by Serbian composers,
traditional and folk songs, but
the repertoire is not confined
only to Serbian music; it
includes songs from other
nations which shared the
same geographic space in the
Balkans, and beyond. This
was demonstrated on many
occasions, particularly at the
annual concert in Nov 2013.
Recent past performances of
the choir include:
• Serbian Orthodox
Metropolitanate Day
Celebrations 2012 & 2015,
• SCS St Sava Ball Jan 2015,
• Greek and Antiochian
Orthodox Paschal concerts
‘Arise, O God’, 2x in 2015,
• Memorial Services 100 years
since World War I 2014 &
2015,
• Music & Art from the Heart
festivals, 2014 & 2015,
• Pan-Orthodox Divine
Liturgies, 2x in 2014,
• Greek Orthodox Charismas
Carrols, 2014,
• Concerts of Serbian Folk
dance group KUD Kolo, 2013
& 2014,
• Maslenitsa - Slavic Pancake
Festival, 2013 & 2014,
• Melbourne Eisteddfod Choral
Festival, 2013 & 2014,
• SCS - Annual Concert, at
Melba Hall Nov 2013,
• Multicultural Church Music
Festivals 2012 & 2013,
• Concert of Slavic Dance &
Music, 2012.
MOKRANJAC 19
Performers
Aleksa’ in 1991.
Sanja left Bosnia as a refugee in
1993, and post-war she led many
choirs: in Germany the church
choir of the St. Luke the Apostle,
in Melbourne children’s choir
at the Serbian Orthodox Church
‘St. Stephen the Archdeacon’,
where she has been the
conductor of the church choir
‘Kornelije Stanković’ since its
founding in 2000.
SANJA DRLJAČA,
CONDUCTOR AND
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
A distinguished music teacher,
Sanja started her career in
Bosnia. She taught accordion,
piano and choral singing in
no less than four primary
and secondary music schools,
while she became the first
accordion teacher in the
Secondary Music School in
Sarajevo. During this period
Sanja composed and wrote
songs for children, winning
twice the first prize at
Children’s music festivals.
The pinnacle of her career,
at the pre-war time, was
her appointment as the
conductor of women’s vocal
octet ‘Collegium Artisticum’
of Sarajevo, as part of the
‘Sarajevo’s Winter’ following
the Winter Olympiad in 1984.
With the octet she toured
extensively throughout
Europe and former
Yugoslavia, and recorded
songs for the film ‘My brother
In 2004 Sanja took the choir
‘Lazarica’ from St Lazarus
Serbian Orthodox Church in
Alexandria (Sydney) on a tour
of Serbia. It was the first visit
to Serbia by a community
choir from Australia.
In February 2000 Sanja
co-founded the community
female choir ‘Balkan Voices’,
which over the years
transformed into the mixed
choir under the name of
Serbian Choral Society.
Sanja conducted choir
workshops at The Boite Singers’
Festival in 2008 and 2009.
For her outstanding voluntary
contribution to the Serbian
community of Victoria,
Sanja received the Victorian
Government’s prestigious
Multicultural Awards for
Excellence - the Meritorious
Service to the Community
Award in 2014.
Sanja continues her
professional career as
music educator in Australia
through her own music school
‘Collegium Artisticum’ in
Dandenong (Melbourne), where
she teaches performance on
various musical instruments to
AMEB grade students.
SAVA DJUKIC,
BARITONE
Born in Melbourne, Sava
has worked as a professional
musician for over 15 years. He
has a Bachelor of Music and
a Diploma of Education, and
has been a high school music
teacher in Australia and New
Zealand for the past 10 years.
His Musical Theatre credits
include several minor and
chorus roles, but a career
highlight was playing a lead
role as ‘Caiaphas’ in Jesus
Christ Superstar in New
Zealand. He has musically
directed numerous shows,
been an orchestral and concert
band conductor, as well as
directed several sacred and
secular choirs both a cappella
and accompanied.
Since 2011, Sava has been
singing with SUADE,
Australia’s top male a
cappella group, which tours
internationally and nationally.
ALAN DE NIESE,
PRESENTER
Alan de Niese was born in Sri
Lanka to a family of singers
and musicians. He has sung
in The Melbourne Chorale,
Victoria Chorale and The de
Niese Family Choir, as well
as performed as a soloist.
Alan has also been cantor at
various Catholic churches and
parishes in Melbourne. He is
currently radio presenter of
“Wednesday Night at the Opera”
on 3MBS 103.5 FM, and monthly
guest on Chris Gaffney’s
long-standing program “Great
Voices” on 3CR 855 AM..
SERBIAN CHORAL SOCIETY
THE CHOIR
Serbian Choral Society (in
Serbian - Srpsko Pevačko
Društvo) is an independent
Serbian community choir
based in Melbourne. It is an
‘a cappella’ ensemble, keen on
achieving high artistic value
in their performances.
The choir tends to perform at
various events within Serbian
and other ethnic communities
at least 4 to 5 times per year.
The SCS maintains a vigorous
cooperation with Serbian and
other ethnic choirs, artistic
and folk groups. In addition,
the choir participates in other
non-ethnic based events, like
festivals, eisteddfods and
memorial services.
Chronologically, the choir had
seen three distinct periods in
their work, spanning more
than 15 years of community
involvement.
Early Period
The choir was founded by its
conductor and artistic director
Sanja Drljaca in February
2000. At the time, it was born
as a female octet under the
name of Balkan Voices (in
Serbian - Balkanski Glasovi).
Balkan Voices had many
performances, mostly within
the Serbian community, but
also in independent events.
The most notable was their
first annual concert held in
September 2003.
Sometime after the annual
concert, due to long term
health problems of several
members, there was a pause in
the choir performance activity
for several years.
Mixed Choir
The choir was formally reborn
by popular demand in March
2010, again as Balkan Voices.
This time the group was formed
as a mixed choir, including
male voices for the first time.
The new Balkan Voices
performed on various
occasions in front of Serbian
and Australian audiences at
multicultural events.
Choral Society
The new chapter in life of the
choir began in September
2013, when the choir formally
incorporated as an association
under the new name - Serbian
Choral Society Inc, and with
new goals for themselves.
The Choir performs a variety
of Serbian music - sacred
and secular compositions
by Serbian composers,
traditional and folk songs, but
the repertoire is not confined
only to Serbian music; it
includes songs from other
nations which shared the
same geographic space in the
Balkans, and beyond. This
was demonstrated on many
occasions, particularly at the
annual concert in Nov 2013.
Recent past performances of
the choir include:
• Serbian Orthodox
Metropolitanate Day
Celebrations 2012 & 2015,
• SCS St Sava Ball Jan 2015,
• Greek and Antiochian
Orthodox Paschal concerts
‘Arise, O God’, 2x in 2015,
• Memorial Services 100 years
since World War I 2014 &
2015,
• Music & Art from the Heart
festivals, 2014 & 2015,
• Pan-Orthodox Divine
Liturgies, 2x in 2014,
• Greek Orthodox Charismas
Carrols, 2014,
• Concerts of Serbian Folk
dance group KUD Kolo, 2013
& 2014,
• Maslenitsa - Slavic Pancake
Festival, 2013 & 2014,
• Melbourne Eisteddfod Choral
Festival, 2013 & 2014,
• SCS - Annual Concert, at
Melba Hall Nov 2013,
• Multicultural Church Music
Festivals 2012 & 2013,
• Concert of Slavic Dance &
Music, 2012.
Melbourne
Melbourne
P R E S E N T S
SOPRANOS
Vesna Dulović
Zorica Golijanin
Ksenija Janković
Aleksandra Katanović
Dragica Kesić
Ivana Lazarević
Nevena Orlić
Djurdja Pavasović
ALTOS
Floarea Cveta Dimitrovici
Dubravka Lazarević
Olivera Stojić
Gordana Vučurević
TENORS
Goran Gajić
Tijana Jarić
Predrag Jorgović
Biljana Klarić
Tatjana Petrović
BASSES
CONTACT DETAILS
For further information about
Serbian Choral Society please visit:
www.serbianchoralsociety.org.au
or contact
[email protected]
SERBIAN CHORAL SOCIETY INC, REG.NO. A0059927Z
Graphic Design - Goran Nikolić | Content Design - Rajko Vukčević
Melbourne, Australia © 2015
Siniša Duboka
Aleksandar Kovač
Vukan Mišić
Igor Orlić
Tamara Prošić
Rade Vlajić
Milan Vučetić
Mokranjac:
Serbian Sacred Choral Music
ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN A CAPPELLA WORKS BY STEVAN STOJANOVIĆ MOKRANJAC
Australian concert premiere of
Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom &
Funeral Service (Requiem)
Conducted by Sanja Drljača
Sava Djukic, baritone
Alan de Niese, presenter
Sunday 25 October 2015, 3:00 pm • St Johns Southgate Lutheran Church, Melbourne

Mokranjac - Serbian Choral Society

Transcription

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