The traditional Christmas concert of the Croatian Music Society Zrinski Donja Kaštela and guests, the Croatian Singing Society Bijaćka vila and Klapa Gabine, was held in the Church of St. Peter the Apostle in Kaštel Novi on Sunday. Every year, the Zrinski Society organizes a Christmas concert in one of the Donja Kaštela, and this year, after last year's concert in Kaštel Štafilić, the host was Kaštel Novi.
Under the direction of Kapellmeister Grgo Grubišić, the orchestra opened the concert with the classic Christmas hymn Adeste Fideles, followed by the first concert part in which the audience had the opportunity to hear Bach's Ave Maria arranged by Ernest Mayo, as well as two compositions in which the musicians were joined by members of the Bijaćka Vila – the ancient Christian liturgical hymn Gloria in excelsis Deo and Croatian Christmas songs arranged by Jurica Karuza.
In the second part of the program, Klapa Gabine presented itself to the audience with three Croatian folk Christmas songs arranged by their leader Ivan Cinotti: Kyrie Eleison, Svim na zemlji and U sve vrime godišta.
Young saxophonist Leo Lučić introduced
Before the third part of the concert began, the audience was introduced to the young saxophonist Leo Lučić, for whom this was his first concert performance with the orchestra. The festive evening continued with performances of the compositions Jingle Bells Forever – Concert March, Jingle Bell Rock and Christmas Jazz Suite. Accompanied by the orchestra, baritone Jakov Košćina performed one of the most performed Christmas compositions of all time, White Christmas (arr. J. Edmondson), while Marija Jurić, a long-time member of Zrinski and singer of the group Bravo, performed the world-famous All I Want for Christmas Is You in a cover by Michael Brown.
At the end, the inevitable Strauss Radetzky March followed, and then the parish priest Don Gabrijel Kamber addressed the numerous visitors with appropriate words, thanking the organizers and sending Christmas greetings to the audience that filled the Novi parish church. After the final welcoming words of moderator Anamarija Domazet, the evening ended with the traditional song U sve vrime godišta performed jointly by the musicians, Bijaćka vila, and the audience.
Photo: Ivana Topic
