17.09.2018.
Representative Orchestra of the Guard made impression in Belgium
The Festival of Military Orchestras, which was held this year in the Belgian city of Liège, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary since the end of the First World War, will be remembered by the exceptional performance of the Representative Orchestra of the Guard of the Serbian Armed Forces. Under the baton of Major Aleksandar Đurov, the musicians of our Armed Forces, during the two festival days, on 15th and 16th September, presented to the citizens of Wallonia the most beautiful Serbian melodies in memory of the alliance and sacrifices that both countries made over a century ago.
In addition to the Guard’s Orchestra representing our country, there were also the Royal Air Force Band of Belgium, the Paris Fire Brigade Band, the Federal Air Forces Orchestra of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Police Pipe Band of the Netherlands, while Italy was represented by the Fanfare dei Bersaglieri wind band. A special attraction were firefighters-athletes from Paris, who impressed the audience with their acrobatics during the break between the performances of the orchestra.On the second day of the Festival, the orchestras held a concert on the plateau of the Palace of the Province in Liège, during which each of them had a fifteen-minute individual appearance. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the civil and military structures of the province of Liège and the region of Wallonia, and the Republic of Serbia was represented by Ambassador Marina Jovićević, Brigadier General Predrag Bandić, Head of the military mission of the Republic of Serbia to NATO and Commander Ivan Zarić, Defence Attaché.
Due to the extraordinary reception of our musicians and ovations received during the performance, Ms Marina Jovićević, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the Kingdom of Belgium, did not hide her satisfaction.
- This was an exceptional opportunity to present our country, our Armed Forces, what is best from Serbia. When you stand at the stage in front of representatives of very important countries of the European Union, as the only country in our region, and when you hear the “God of Justice” anthem, the composition “Vostani Serbie” or “There far away” you cannot help but feel excited. This cultural event will certainly contribute to the development of cooperation with the Walloon Region and the Kingdom of Belgium, Ambassador Jovićević said thanking the Serbian Armed Forces for being ready to reply positively to the invitation addressed to the Representative Orchestra of the Guard with the hope that they will soon perform in the Kingdom of Belgium again.- The way the citizens welcomed our orchestra and the enthusiasm they expressed indubitably speak about the readiness of Serbia to be viewed in some other way, the ambassador said, pointing out that it is very important message that the flag of the Republic of Serbia was put next to the flag of the founding member countries of the European Union. She added that every opportunity should be used to remind what Serbia was in both the First and the Second World Wars and what values it has inherited.
Brigadier General Predrag Bandić was, as he said, proud of his uniform and uniform of our Guard members.
- They magnificently presented the Serbian Armed Forces and the Republic of Serbia. Liège is an old city that fosters the tradition of such events. It was a pleasure to show up here today and get such applause, General Bandić said.According to the words of Commander Ivan Zarić, the defence attaché, the performance of the Representative Guard Orchestra in Liège showed that the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces attach great significance to marking the centenary of the First World War.
- We show allies from that period how much we care about the bright traditions of our ancestors and how important this period of history is for us, Commander Zarić underlined.
The melodies of “March on the Drina” and other Serbian marches echoed in the centre of the beautiful Belgian city also on Saturday, 15th September, when a promenade concert of all guest orchestras was held. A large number of citizens listened to the brilliant performance of our military musicians with unhidden pleasure, with loud ovations and applause after each track.
PHOTOGALLERY
