Odjek Chamber Choir

Požarevac, Serbia

Ilija Rajković conductor & piano

Anastasija Vojinović flute

Lazar Nikolić violin


About


Female Chamber Choir "Odjek" was founded in September 2017 at the initiative of Professor Ilija Rajković and works at the "Stevan Mokranjac" Music School in Požarevac. The reason for its establishment was the preparation of a collection of 15 choral arrangements of folk songs (Macedonian and other nationalities living in Macedonia) for the project of the European Union within the IPA Pre-Accession Assistance Foundation "Decade of Appreciation and Celebration of Diversity". The choir performs its compositions exclusively accompanied by a piano and one or more solo instruments.

As a stylistically defined ensemble, the choir bases its repertoire on the interpretations of the folk music from the Balkans, drawing on the inexhaustible source and richness that this music offers. Guided by this idea, the choir already has the songs of most Balkan countries in its repertoire. Their ultimate goal is to unite the songs of all Balkan people in recognizable arrangements.

The Odjek choir achieved its greatest success in competitions in 2018, a gold medal at the first Belgrade Choir Festival and in 2019 a laureate at the fifth International Choir Festival in Herceg Novi, Montenegro. The choir is the recipient of City of Požarevac Charter of Culture for 2019.




Repertoire


Title Composer Lyrics
COMPETITION
Tri duhovna hora: No.3, Otche nash
(Three Ecclesiastic Choruses: No.3, Our Father)
Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998)
Uzdarje
(Gift)
Minta Aleksinački (b. 1947)
The Snow Edward Elgar (1857-1934) Caroline Alice Elgar (1848-1920)
Aliluja Zapro Zaprov (b. 1947)
FOLK
Nazad, Kalino, mome
(Back off, Kalino, girl)
Folk song, arr. Ilija Rajković (b. 1976)
Djelem, djelem (Gelem, gelem) Folk song, arr. Ilija Rajković (b. 1976) Žarko Jovanović (1925-1985)