
A special concert, esoterically titled.
Anyone of the Eastern Orthodox faith, especially Serbian Orthodox, will understand the significance of the arcanely titled concert to be performed at St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, California this Saturday evening, November 9th, 2013.
The event is billed as "A concert in honor of the 1700th Jubilee Celebration of the 313 AD Edict of Milan and the 900th anniversary of the birth of St. Simeon Stefan Nemanja."
If you're like me, you're asking yourself, "What does all that mean?"
Background
There are three critical events in the unfolding of Serbian history and Serbian Orthodoxy: The Edict of Milan, The Great Schism of 1054 and the birth of Stefan Nemanj.
The Edict of Milan was the agreement between Emperor Constantine I in Rome, and his rival Licinius, who reigned over the Balkans, that Christians should once and for all cease to be persecuted for practicing Christianity. Without the edict, therefore, there would now be no Christian churches.
Orthodoxy came into existence after the Great Schism of 1054 AD when the existing church, the Chalcedonian Church, made up of its western and eastern centers, Rome and Constantinople, disagreed over the future of their church. The resulting split created the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Stefan Nemanja was the father of the first Serbian king, Stefan Nemanjić, and of Rastko Nemanjić who later became Saint Sava, Serbia's most venerated saint. These three individuals are considered to be the founders of Serbia and the founders of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Other historical events are noteworthy, but are not the topic of this particular concert program. Those events have to do with the ongoing battle between Serbia and its surrounding Baltic neighbors with the never-ending incursions by the Ottoman Empire (Turkey), a Muslim nation. The first and most renowned of these was the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, where the Ottmans ultimately conquered Christian Serbia, creating a domination that only finally ended with the First World War. To this day, the Battle of Kosovo is still an emotional trigger for Serbian pride and is the root of Serbia's current discontent regarding Kosovo's secession from Serbia in 2008. (Just to clarify, this concert is 'not' about Kosovo. We have, however, had others that were. In fact, there is actually a holiday called Vidovdan where Serbs celebrate the Battle of Kosovo.)
So, to commemorate these historical events, and to introduce the community to Southern California's rich pool of Serbian musical talent, The Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos Serbian Orthodox Church in Orange County has decided to host a concert. That concert will feature local Serbian performers such as mezzo-soprano Milena Kitić, who has, among innumerable other performances, sung the role of Carmen with both New York's Metropolitan Opera and The LA Opera.
Also an the bill are virtuoso pianist and educator, Gorjana Zekić, pop singer/songwriter Stephani Rose, and film and TV actress Željka Gortinski. The Istochnik Choir will also perform religious and folk music under the direction of Gorjana Zekić.
Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit The Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos Serbian Orthodox Church in Irvine, under the leadership of Father Blasko Paraklis.
Underwriters are encouraged to donate cash and gift items for the silent auction.
Anyone of the Eastern Orthodox faith, especially Serbian Orthodox, will understand the significance of the arcanely titled concert to be performed at St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, California this Saturday evening, November 9th, 2013.
The event is billed as "A concert in honor of the 1700th Jubilee Celebration of the 313 AD Edict of Milan and the 900th anniversary of the birth of St. Simeon Stefan Nemanja."
If you're like me, you're asking yourself, "What does all that mean?"
Background
There are three critical events in the unfolding of Serbian history and Serbian Orthodoxy: The Edict of Milan, The Great Schism of 1054 and the birth of Stefan Nemanj.
The Edict of Milan was the agreement between Emperor Constantine I in Rome, and his rival Licinius, who reigned over the Balkans, that Christians should once and for all cease to be persecuted for practicing Christianity. Without the edict, therefore, there would now be no Christian churches.
Orthodoxy came into existence after the Great Schism of 1054 AD when the existing church, the Chalcedonian Church, made up of its western and eastern centers, Rome and Constantinople, disagreed over the future of their church. The resulting split created the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Stefan Nemanja was the father of the first Serbian king, Stefan Nemanjić, and of Rastko Nemanjić who later became Saint Sava, Serbia's most venerated saint. These three individuals are considered to be the founders of Serbia and the founders of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Other historical events are noteworthy, but are not the topic of this particular concert program. Those events have to do with the ongoing battle between Serbia and its surrounding Baltic neighbors with the never-ending incursions by the Ottoman Empire (Turkey), a Muslim nation. The first and most renowned of these was the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, where the Ottmans ultimately conquered Christian Serbia, creating a domination that only finally ended with the First World War. To this day, the Battle of Kosovo is still an emotional trigger for Serbian pride and is the root of Serbia's current discontent regarding Kosovo's secession from Serbia in 2008. (Just to clarify, this concert is 'not' about Kosovo. We have, however, had others that were. In fact, there is actually a holiday called Vidovdan where Serbs celebrate the Battle of Kosovo.)
So, to commemorate these historical events, and to introduce the community to Southern California's rich pool of Serbian musical talent, The Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos Serbian Orthodox Church in Orange County has decided to host a concert. That concert will feature local Serbian performers such as mezzo-soprano Milena Kitić, who has, among innumerable other performances, sung the role of Carmen with both New York's Metropolitan Opera and The LA Opera.
Also an the bill are virtuoso pianist and educator, Gorjana Zekić, pop singer/songwriter Stephani Rose, and film and TV actress Željka Gortinski. The Istochnik Choir will also perform religious and folk music under the direction of Gorjana Zekić.
Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit The Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos Serbian Orthodox Church in Irvine, under the leadership of Father Blasko Paraklis.
Underwriters are encouraged to donate cash and gift items for the silent auction.