"Kir Stefan-the Serb": women's choir from Serbia singing in Cambridge
by Ana Mitrovic
Contributing Writer

On Wednesday, 24th November, Boston entertained a visit by "Kir Stefan-Srbin," a young women’s choir from Smederevo, Serbia. These young high school students (their age ranged from 14 to 21), won several Gold Medals in the category of sacred and traditional music at various international competitions - in Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Israel, and most recently - in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Florida competition is the reason why the choir came to United States, and they were proud to receive another First Prize, another Gold. This is a significant achievement fora choir that only formed six years ago.

"Kir Stefan-the Serb" was officially welcomed by the Mayor of Cambridge, Mr. Francis Duehay, and the City Councilor, Ms. Kathleen Leahy Born. At a special reception in the Cambridge City Hall, the Mayor presented the choir with a Key to the city of Cambridge along with a warm proclamation of friendship to take back to the people of their town. In turn, Professor Milan Ilic, the conductor of the choir, gave the Mayor and the city of Cambridge three gifts - a Medallion of the city of Smederevo, a book about the city of Smederevo - and a song. Mayor Duehay exclaimed, "Oh my" as the girls started singing, followed by another exclamation, "They sing like angels." Councilor Born later greeted the young women in a very special way, by introducing them to her daughter who attended the reception, and by saying that her house will always stay open for them. Both the Mayor and professor Ilic emphasized improving the relations between the United States and Serbia through culture and people-to-people contacts.

"Kir Stefan-the Serb" choir performed at the Kennedy School of Government later that evening, in a hall that was more than full, with standing room only. Considering the Thanksgiving obligations of many on this day, such attendance attests to the great interest of the Boston community, including many MIT students, in hearing this talented choir. The public was rewarded gracefully, and many remained standing, applauding for a long time after the concert ended. The voices of these women were incredible and the music was something different, colored with Byzantine chants and Serbian folklore.

I asked the girls how they felt coming here after the bombing of Serbia. "American people are different than their government. And while we still hear sirens and bombs wherever we are, we here want to show the Americans that we like them as people, that politics and government are different. We do that with our music," sixteen-year old Ivana explained.

http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/citizen/Dec06/mitr1206.htm