11.05.2011.

Stanislav Binicki and EUCOM army orchestra give performance

The joint concert of The MoD art ensemble “Stanislav Binicki” and the EUCOM Army Orchestra was held in the House of Guards last night in Topcider. The same joint concert will be given on 13 May in the National theatre in Nis, on occasion of 130 years of the diplomatic relations between the USA and Serbia.

The musical evening in Topcider was attended by State Secretaries in MoD Tanja Miscevic, Zoran Jeftic and Igor Jovicic, deputy SAFCHOD Major General Milan Bjelica, the ambassador to the USA Mary Warlick and numerous music lovers.

The first compositions on the repertoire were the national anthems of Serbia and the USA, “Boze pravde” and the US National Anthem respectively, followed by welcome speeches by Tanja Miscevic and Mary Warlick.

It is of paramount importance to have good relations not only in diplomacy, policy and military cooperation but also in arts, music, as could be seen in a well harmonized unit composed of these two anthems, as State Secretary Miscevic remarked.

Ambassador of the USA to Belgrade Mary Warlick stated that both armies had cooperated before very fruitfully, participating in over 50 joint activities annually. The USA have hosted some 70 Serbian officers who have attended US military schools. The concert this evening, as she pointed out, is also yet another form of strengthening the cooperation between the two countries.

During the concert the audience had the privilege to savour such compositions as those from “Star Wars” movie, “The Lion King” cartoon, the arias from ‘Traviata” and Madamme Butterfly, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, as well as traditional Serbian and American compositions such as “Tamo daleko“ and “The Stars & Stripes forever” march.

The “Stanislav Binicki” ensemble accompanied by the military choir and under the conductor’s baton of Pavle Medakovic performed “Ticu Ticu”, “Quando quando” and “Srpski jug” (the Serbian south), while the American choir gave an attractive performance of the songs of the famous group ABBA, by combining both dance and singing. The concert ended with a glorious performance of the famous “March towards the Drina”.

The EUCOM Army orchestra and choir is the largest US Army musical band stationed outside the USA, with 65 musicians performing last night. Both Serbian and American military orchestras also gave a performance in March this year, while they will continue their cooperation in the future as well-“Binicki” ensemble is expected to give a performance in Germany, while the EUCOM army band will provide technical support and instruments.