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Piece Description
In Part 1 of this two-part series, the narrator takes the listener to the St. Elijah Serbian Church in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, to see if the church choir is as alive as when she left home 30 years ago. Interviews with the choir director and singers reveal a rich, musical tradition that is the heart of the Serbian identity and has survived world wars, civil war, communism, and emigration. A 93-year-old founding member talks about the importance of Kosovo in Serbian history. The piece includes clips of rehearsal, the church service, and concert singing that sound exotic to the non-Serbian ear. Music is sung in English and Serbian. Part 2 includes a visit to the St. Sava Serbian Cathedral on West 25th Street in Manhattan. The parish priest, who was born and raised in Bosnia, talks about the recent civil war and the breakup of Yugoslavia. The narrator attends a workshop in Windsor, Ontario, where Serbian singers learn to sing four-part harmony a cappella. Serbian parents discuss ways to interest the younger generation in keeping the tradition of singing in the choir.
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Review of Serbian Church Choirs: A Musical TraditionEach Sunday I feel as close to Heaven as I can be while still living and breathing. Why? It's the beautiful interplay between the priest and the choir at St. Elijah Serbian Orthodox Church in Aliquippa, PA. It's mainly the same incredible, inspirational 4-part liturgical music I've heard sung since a child at my Grandmother's side each Sunday at St. Sava's Church in Pittsburgh. As young teen-agers, we could hardly wait until we were 16, the age you could join the choir. Then, perhaps it was more for social reasons, but as you get older, you realize its a way to devote your life singing to God, showing Him how grateful you are for all of your many blessings. We are so lucky to have between 28-35+ singers in the choir loft each Sunday, with a beautiful blending of voices rich, deep and emotional. Some churches have to pay their singers. Our talented Serbian choir sings for the pure joy of giving glory to God. Perhaps that's why the song, "Almost Heaven, Aliquippa!" is so famous whenever Serbian choirs get together from around the world. How lucky we all were to have Cissy Rebich catch a small, audible glimpse of this magic and share it with the world. Cissy has been extremely talented from the time she was a young soloist on stage bringing tears to my eyes. She hasn't changed a note. She only gets better like fine wine. Beautiful job, well done, Zivela Cissy! |
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Review of Serbian Church Choirs: A Musical TraditionThis is a wonderful piece.
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Broadcast History
This is a debut piece.
Transcript
SERBIAN CHURCH CHOIRS: A Musical Tradition
Part I
INTRO: The Serbian Orthodox Christian religion embraces cherished traditions: ornate churches trimmed in bright turquoise and gold leaf. Hand-painted icons. Candles and incense. The sound of a priest who sings the prayers. And a choir that responds in 4-part harmony. There are approximately 50 Serbian church choirs in the United States and Canada and they are deeply linked to the Serbian identity. Through world wars, civil wars, and communism, the choirs are a constant. In the first of a two-part series about Serbian choral music and its role within the church, Cissy Rebich returns to the Serbian community where she grew up to see if Serbian choirs are as alive today as they were when she left home 30 years ago.
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Nicholas Prodanovich
Posted on March 06, 2008 at 04:31 PM | Permalink
Review of Serbian Church Choirs: A Musical Tradition
This piece provides a rich portrait into one of the core fabrics of the mosaic that is America. It shows how the Orthodox Church, traddition, culture, music and family safely carry the Serbs forward through the centuries despite great hardships.
As I'm listening I can also remember singing with another choir in Midland and hearing my father lead the Divine Liturgy. In today's technological, anonymous and fast paced world its good to be reminded that life can hold a different view.