06.06.2021.

Serbian and British military orchestras give concert at Central Military Club

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, attended a joint concert given by the MoD’s "Stanislav Binički" Artistic Ensemble and the Countess of Wessex's String Orchestra at the Central Military Club.

In addition to traditional Serbian and British military marches, the extensive repertoire includes arrangements of well-known domestic and international musical compositions. Together with military musicians, UK Ambassador Sian MacLeod, also presented her skills on the violin.

Minister Stefanović commended the Serbian and British orchestras for their exceptional joint performance.

– Thank you for coming to Serbia. I am aware that it was not easy in this challenging time of the coronavirus epidemic. I hope you have enjoyed the traditional Serbian hospitality - Minister Stefanović said, addressing the British military musicians.

The Minister thanked our "Binički" ensemble, emphasizing that their performances had been missed and that he was extremely proud of them.

– Thank you for everything you do, I really feel proud listening to your music - Stefanović said.

He also thanked Ambassador MacLeod for her effort to bring the British military band to Serbia.

– We have put in a lot of effort into improving our relations. In a few days, we will have the opportunity to entertain the UK Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, who will attend the "Platinum Wolf" exercise, and that is a clear sign of the improvement of the overall relations between our two countries - Stefanović said.

According to him, the relations between the two militaries are excellent and joint exercises are an opportunity for the Serbian Armed Forces to increase their capabilities and interoperability, but also to remember the times when we won together and were the strongest allies.

– Even today, when we do not have the same position on all issues, we respect each other. I think that tonight's performance of the orchestras is a good example of how we can work together and produce results that we can all be proud of - Stefanović said.

The UK Ambassador to Serbia, Sian MacLeod, thanked Minister Stefanović and the Ministry of Defence for organizing the concert, and the musicians for the opportunity to play with them tonight.

The UK Defence Attaché Colonel Nick Ilic expressed hope that this concert was just the beginning of cooperation and that "Binički" would travel to London and perform in front of the audience there, if the epidemiological situation allows it.

He noted that during the First World War, Serbs had sung "Far Away", and that nurses had sung a similar song, thinking about their native villages in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. According to him, Serbia and Britain were allies then and we must not forget that.

The head of the "Stanislav Binički" Artistic Ensemble, Major Nikola Živković, said that with tonight's concert, Serbian and British musicians had sent a message in the universal language of music that everyone understood.

Conductor Katarina Božić presented her British counterpart, Captain Sarah Marinescu, with a letter of appreciation from the "Stanislav Binički” orchestra thanking her for the cooperation and joint performances.

The concert was also attended by members of the military diplomatic corps accredited to Serbia.