The Kaštela Cultural Center was filled with music and holiday cheer this Monday, when it hosted the Croatian Music Society Knights of St. George on its stage. Under the direction of conductor Ivo Jerkunica, the society performed a Christmas concert for the audience that combined traditional Christmas melodies with unexpected musical elements.
As the audience gathered eagerly awaiting the first bars, Jerkunica revealed to us how the evening's program was conceived:
- The concert is Christmas, so we will mostly perform Christmas songs in jazz arrangements. There will also be some rock standards, as well as jazz, swing or bossa nova, which we usually perform, so it will be an interesting mix for the audience.
He added that one of the compositions, "Big Band Christmas", was particularly demanding during preparation due to frequent changes in harmony and rhythm, which the musicians worked on for the premiere specifically for this evening.
But the audience that Monday was not disappointed — every piece performed was met with enthusiastic reception and earned a strong applause at the end.
Jerkunica also addressed one of the frequent concerns of music societies — youth:
- We are great, we have young trumpeters and trombonists, so things are moving forward in music schools. We try to work with children as much as we can."
The concert was further enriched by the guest of the evening – Gabriela Braičić, a young musical talent that the audience has already met through television music shows such as The Voice, where she reached the final stages and won the hearts of viewers with her powerful vocals. She is also the winner of the first prize of the jury at last year's Šibenik Chanson for her original song "Na tvome jastuku".
In the last few years, Braičić has established herself as a prominent young singer with numerous performances at regional festivals and collaborations with various musicians.
Together with the HGD Knights of St. George, she performed a series of songs, several of which were specially reserved for the end of the concert — a touching blend of Christmas motifs and jazz arrangements left the audience filled with a musical experience and a true holiday atmosphere.
Photo/ Video: Ivana Topić
