1. Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to welcome you to this concert dedicated to the celebration of the 200^th anniversary of the first Serbian Uprising and the founding of the modern Serbian State. The freedom was won under the leadership of the great Karadjordje and the state was founded by Milos the Great, Duke of Serbia.

My name is Zorana Kydd and I will be one of your hosts for the evening. You have just heard our Kir Stefan Srbin choir from Toronto. This choir was formed in 2001 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading Serbian choirs in this part of the world. The pinnacle of their tenure has come last year at the great festival of Serbian Choirs at the St. Sava church in Belgrade.

As their next number they will be performing an excerpt from the Liturgy for the dead by Stevan Mokranjac. Baritone Oliver Njego will join them .This will be followed by Hail Theothokos Virgin from the Nightlong Vigil by Sergei Rachmaninov. The choir is conducted by Jasmina Vucurovic.

2. And now a bard of Serbian theatre – Actor Misa Janketic, a veteran of over 230 productions, and recipient of numerous awards will be performing Iguman Stefan, an excerpt from Gorski Vijenac by Petar Petrovic Njegos.

3. Primadona of both the Belgrade and world opera stages, a diva who performed with conductor Claudio Abado, and amongs athers, opera singers Mirella Frenni and Placido Domingo, will perform the famous Habanera from George Bizet’s Carmen. Following will be of Belgrade Opera, baritone Oliver Njego performing the aria Toreador from the same opera.

Ladies and Gentlemen, primadonna Jadranka Jovanovic!!

4. And now it is our great pleasure to present to you the Canadian Artists of Serbian parentage – Denise and Marc Djokic. Denise Djokic has already captivated audiences all across the continent performing at major music festivals such as Maxico’s San Miguel de Allende festival and Ravinia festival in Chicago. Among her many awards is the Grand Prix of the Irving M. Klein International String Competition.

Marc Djokic is a recipient of Governor General’s Millenium Award, Raymond Simpson Awards and most recently, Lieutenant Governor’s Award by the Talent Fund.

Ladies and Gentlemen – Denise and Marc Djokic!

5.And now a duet Rosina and Figaro from Rossini’s Barber of Seville performed by Jadranka Jovanovic and Oliver Njego, followed by Chiapia’s Zarzuela performed by Jadranka Jovanovic and Oliver Njego’s interpretation of P.I. Tchaikovsky’s None But the Lonely Heart.

Let’s enjoy the duet Rosina and Figaro!

6. Snezana Beric, better known as Extra Nena is a great star of popular music in Serbia with a wide repertoire of musical genres. 12 years ago she was the representative of Yugoslavia in the Eurovisio competition in Sweden. In her first appearance tonight she will be perforing two Russian Traditional songs.

This will be followed by Jadranka Jovanovic’s interpretation of the charming Canzonetta Spagnuola by Rossini and Oliver Njego will take us to the world of Italian Canzonna with the Ungreatfull Heart.

Please welcome Snezana Beric – Extra Nena!

7. Famous Serbian composer P. Krstic has written the music to the great Serbian poet Aleksa Santic’s verse. Nymph, this anthological song will be performed by primadona Jadranka Jovanovic. It will be followed Extra Nena and Oliver Njego duet – Hold the waters of Ibar River, and a trio of Jadranka, Nena and Oliver whi will sing a romantic Serbian song – Beautiful Jana – old fisherman’s daughter.

We will close the first part of our program with Jesenice – dances from Serbia performed by the Serbian Folk ensemble Oplenac.

Once again, Jadrank Jovanovic!

PART TWO

1. Once again we welcome you to the concert celebrating 200 years of Serbian Statehood. Primadona Jadranka Jovanovic is also renowned as an extraordinary interpreter of music of different. Here is a wonderful example – Jacque Brell and Ne me quitte pas. Oliver Njego will sing a Serbian Chanson – Ranko Rihtman’ s Where are thou? From another poem by Aleksa Santic.

Let’s go to France with jadranka Jovanovic!

2. Misa janketic will be performing an ezerpt from the drama Milos the Great, Duke of Serbia by Milovan Vitezovic.

I give you the great Serbian actor Misa Janketic!

3. Darko Kraljic is a master of popular songs in Serbia. A great number of his compositions had been written for Edxtra Nena. Tonight, she will be performing The Roses of Sombor. Followed by the world hit A drop of Joy and I kiss you with a song which represented Yugoslavia at the Eurovison competition.

Jadranka Jovanovic and Oliver Njego will join Nena in a dream trio – performing Sto se bore misli moje and Under the shining stars.

Ladies and Gentlemen – Extra Nena!

4. Serbian Cultural Association Oplenac was formed 17 years ago and today numbers 270 members. It toured Serbia, USA and all over Canada. For the last 4 years it has done so as an official representative of Canadian Culture. Vojislav Kostunica, the president of Yugoslavia ha awarded this ensemble with the Medal for its contribution to promotion of Serbian culture. Artistic director Bata Marcetic nad music director Mica Petrovic have prepared Ko Podize slave Boze” and folk dances from Bujanovac.

For our final numbers of the program they will be joined by Kir Stefan choir and all the soloists and most of you in the singing of Tamo Daleko. I would also like to remind you that this celebration is continuing tomorrow with the projection of the first Serbian feature film – The Life and work of Karadjordje from 1911 and Misa Janketic’s performance of Milos Veliki at Isabel Bader theatre starting at 19;30 and also as a reminder that the Serbs have made an impact in culture here as well – a children’s show by the Serbian Theatre from Ottawa – performing Cudesan Brod (The Magic ship)

I give you Oplenac!