The Choral Festival "In Unity with a Singing Heart" (June 27-29) opened last night in front of a large audience at St. Luke's Square in the Old Town, with a performance by the hosts, the Serbian Singing Society (SPD) "Jedinstvo" (1839) from Kotor and the Novi Sad Chamber Choir.

Member of the board of "Jedinstvo" Petar Bukilica reminded that this is the third festival in a row, included in the regular cultural events organized in Kotor, with the intention of growing into a tradition.

"With God's help and the help of everyone involved, we are managing to organize a festival at an enviable level. Most of all with the help of the Municipality of Kotor (Secretariat for Culture, Sports and Social Activities), the main patron of the festival," said Bukulica, welcoming guests and admirers of choral art to the city with a long and turbulent history, unique beauty, rich traditions and culture, especially music.
He emphasized that choral singing has occupied a special place in Kotor for almost two centuries, thanks to the SPD Jedinstvo, which has been inheriting this tradition since its founding in 1839.
"This festival was born with the idea that through choral singing and singing in multiple voices we preserve tradition, promote unity, create a space for meetings, exchange of experiences of choirs, artists and audiences from various sides, but with the common goal that music ennobles and unites us all," said Bukilica, then announcing the participants of this year's three-day choral festival.

The choirs were conducted by MA Mihajlo Lazarević (Jedinstvo) and Božidar Crnjanski (Novi Sad Chamber Choir).

The program began with the "Kotor anthem" to Saint Sava "O Serbian young innocent child", slightly older than the well-known "Let us exclaim with love to Saint Sava".

Soloists: Aleksandra Magud, soprano (Jedinstvo) and Isidora Lazarević (Novi Sad Chamber Choir).

Instrumental accompaniment (Jedinstvo): Zorana Bukilica (flute), Petar Bukilica (guitar), Hikola Vučković (piano).

The hosts' program: Šano dušo, Zajdi zajdi, Ena to helidoni.
The guests sang: Pod sjajem zvezda, A tu lado, Run to you, Hallelujah, Delliver me, o Lord, Wade in the water, Rossas pandan, Kozar, Tri madrigala, Oral dedo.
The concert was also attended by the archbishopric regent of Kotor-Tivat, the parish priest of Kotor, archpriest – stavrophor Nemanja Krivokapić, secretary of the Secretariat for Culture, Sports and Social Activities of the Municipality of Kotor Tatjana Kriještorac and director of the Kotor Tourist Organization Jovan Ristić.

The program was hosted by Dušan Davidović.

In the Church of St. Nicholas Cathedral today (Saturday, June 28) at 8:30 pm will be performed by the Choir of the Cathedral Church of St. George (Novi Sad).
On Sunday (June 29) at 9:30 pm, the Kotor Klapa “Incanto” and the Church Children’s and Youth Choir and Orchestra “Orlić” from Batajnica will perform at the closing of the festival.
The organizers are the SPD “Jedinstvo” (1839) Kotor and the Serbian Orthodox Church Municipality of Kotor, with the support of the Municipality of Kotor, the Kotor Tourist Organization and the School for Primary and Secondary Music Education “Vida Matjan” Kotor.