Sat: Visiting Vrsac and Performing at the Josiph Marinkovie School of Music
As part of the Festival, Ensemble spent the day at the Josiph Marinkovie School of Music in Vrsac, Serbia. It is a public school named after the nation's most famous composer. Students all study two instruments, one may be voice. When we arrived in the late morning, we were greeted by a local doctor who spoke excellent English. His use of a couple of words and part of his accent seemed familiar. Turns out he went to Vandy in Nashville and lives part time in Tennessee. He translated the school director's discussion of the history of the school and of the area. Their choir has always been a one or two part group but they have recently started exploring multi-part music. They sang a short piece, Bob introduced us, Ensemble sang and we headed off to walk about the town.
A small brass band was warming up in the park; they were to play for a wedding in an hour or so. We enjoyed listening, they certainly enjoyed playing. Even in this small town near the the Romanian border, one of our primary exports is evident, the lower walls are tagged with graffiti.
Back to the buses where some members of each choir went on each bus; we rode 20 minutes past vineyards and up a 350 meter foothill to a restaurant with a view and a cool breeze. All tables were nearly evenly represented by members from each of the choirs. They asked each other questions:
How did you learn English so well? Watching Oprah and some Animal Planet.
Favorite TV show? MTV.
Best American music? R&B, maybe some Pop.
Instrument you play? Most everything was represented, but piano and violin took lead.)
Their dress was western, their smiles extensive.
Lunch was sandwiches and for the first time since we started...cokes, in bottles, with sugar, not corn syrup! Gone. A word about sandwiches. They are just a way to garnish amazing, flavorful, perfectly textured home-made bread rolls. We often see bread ovens and walking down streets we are called by the aroma of that bread as it drifts out the doors, Paris style.
Following lunch they played a little a soccer and then began a rousing game of the Ride the Pony which was started as a way to introduce the game to the Serbian kids. Brief summary: large circle of 15 to 80 kids. Smaller circle inside of about 1/3 as many participants. Inner group gallops in a circle for two lines of the music: "Here I go, ride my pony, riding on my big fat pony, here I go ride my pony, all around the circle." Each member selects one of the outer circle members and stops in front of them. The music continues with: "Front, to front, to front, my baby" as each pair jumps three times facing each other. Then, they turn with backs to each other and sing "Back, to back, to back, my baby" then "Side, to side, to side, my baby, all around the circle". The previous runner takes the place in the outer circle, the selected partner now starts galloping in the inner circle, and the song starts over. There are no winners, no losers, and people pay attention to be sure everyone gets to ride the pony. Participants leave the outer circle, new people join. It can go on and on for an hour or so. The Benin choir taught many choirs including Piedmont at the last Golden Gate festival, we taught choirs in China and now in Slovenia and and Serbia. Who knows who all they will teach.
After working up a good sweat, some walked down a steep pathway with 432 steps back to town (Sebastian counted). Passed a lovely new house, 3000 sq ft, 1 acre: 350K US, for those interested in how the economy works. Others took the bus back.
We walked straight to the town's 15th century Greek Orthodox church for their mid-afternoon music. Two adult choirs sang early and modern liturgical Serbian Orthodox works in a space designed for it. They sang acappella with grace, power, richness of tone and the lilting beauty the ancient church deserved. Tired, in cramped quarters at the rear of the church but willing to listen and learn, yes, that is Ensemble.
We got back on the bus to travel to the town's Millennium center, a sport and cultural complex of most modern character. The choir delivered another sterling performance with the dancers in top form and Niska Banja, a well-known Serbian folk song and crowd pleaser, getting the most reaction. The music school choir then took the stage and performed a series of difficult pieces with gusto to the great pleasure of the parents in the audience.
Both choirs and parents hung around the lobby, traded addresses and had a group photo taken. Back to the school for a reception and dance. More coke, pizza, Serbian meat and vegetable pastries. Much singing dancing, giggling. It was Saturday night in Vrsac and partying was everywhere; we fit in just fine.
To bus. To Belgrade. To bed.