05.06.2021.
Serbian and British military orchestras give open-air concert
"Stanislav Binički", the MoD’s artistic ensemble and the Countess of Wessex’s String Orchestra gave a joint concert tonight in front of the Cultural Centre of Belgrade.
Military musicians, who felt especially inspired, performed a selection of world-famous hits, popular film and art music by Serbian, British and international composers, as well as famous and ever popular Serbian military marches and traditional British melodies. Katarina Božić and Major Igor Mitrović from the "Binički" ensemble and a guest from the United Kingdom, Captain Sarah Marinescu, took turns conducting the orchestra.Numerous passers-by in the pedestrian zone of Knez Mihailova Street and the Republic Square stopped to enjoy the performance, giving each of the performed melodies rapturous applause. The audience immensely enjoyed Queen’s, Abba’s and the Beatles’ hits, James Bond movie theme songs, Serbian traditional music and old favourites "Tamo daleko" and "Pukni zoro".
UK Ambassador Sian MacLeod joined the Serbian and British military musicians playing the violin in several songs.
Relja Ćurčin, a citizen of Belgrade, says that tonight's concert performed by two military orchestras is what the citizens missed during the coronavirus epidemic.- I am impressed. It's just beautiful to be able to listen to an open-air concert after the Covid pandemic.
Some of the people in the audience said that this concert reminded them of the performances that took place on the streets of world capitals.
- This made my day. It is phenomenal. Concerts like this are a common thing in all the world's metropolises that I have visited and I would like them to become common in Belgrade as well - said Nataša from Belgrade.
The audience also included connoisseurs of music and admirers of the "Stanislav Binički" Artistic Ensemble, such as Mrs Svetlana Blagojević from Belgrade.
- I really like the concert. The repertoire includes popular music, which suits us, because it makes us happy. I was just passing by, I would like this to become common practice. I follow the work of the "Stanislav Binički" ensemble and, as far as I know, they already give concerts at Kalemegdan Park and so on - Mrs Blagojević said.The organizers and sponsors of this unique musical event are the Ministry of Defence and the British Embassy in Belgrade in cooperation with the Cultural Centre of Belgrade.
The inspired performance of the “Stanislav Binički” ensemble and the Countess of Wessex’s String Orchestra is a continuation of the cooperation between the Serbian and British military orchestras, which began several years ago when the “Stanislav Binički” ensemble entertained their colleagues from the Band of the Prince of Wales’s Division.
