If anyone were to write a chronicle of this festival, they would have to start with the year 1992, when the children's choir from Bočar, conducted by Zagorka Zaga Jegdić, performed as a guest at the Firemen's House in Negotin during the "Mokranjčevi Days." Numerous witnesses of this musical event were captivated by the singing talent of these children and the freshness of their voices.
The following year, 1993, the idea was born that a musical festival should be created for the town where such successful music making took place, and for the hometown of Josif Marinković. With the wholehearted support of musical experts such as ethnomusicologists Dr. Dimitrije Golemović and Dr. Dragoslav Dević, composers Konstantin Babić and Sava Vukosavljević, and conductor Slobodan Bursać, Zagorka Jegdić, the director of the Novi Bečej Cultural Center, along with her collaborators, launched the musical event Days of Josif Marinković. The poet Dr. Spasoje Grahovac gave it the poetic name "Horizons on the Tisa," a festival that, for almost a quarter of a century, has radiated the name and work of our great Serbian composer, a festival that revived the somewhat forgotten Serbian solo song.
The story of Josif Marinković is tied to Vranjevo, which, at the time of his birth in the mid-19th century, was the most developed and prosperous settlement in the Kikinda district. The life of the Marinković family in such a Vranjevo was beautiful and harmonious, with music playing a significant role. The father often played and sang with the tambura, and the mother played the guitar, while the children eagerly participated in the music-making. Josif, from a young age, was captivated by music, and it became clear to him that music would be his life’s calling.
However, since his father did not agree with his decision, Josif had to fight long and hard to pursue his goal. During his schooling, he spent his vacations in Vranjevo, where he actively participated in the cultural life of the town, organizing music-literary events with his tambura orchestra and the church choir of his fellow townsfolk. After primary school, he attended the Teacher’s School in Sombor and eventually studied music in Prague, where, in 1881, he graduated and became a choir conductor. This marked the end of his "Vranjevo" period and the beginning of his life and work in Belgrade, where he stayed until his death on May 13, 1931.
The last ties to Vranjevo were through visits by his son, Dr. Ivan Marinković, to the family godfather and first neighbor, the florist from Vranjevo, Ivan Janković. Memories of the great artist faded, and slowly, he fell into obscurity. In 1951, on the initiative of the Belgrade Singing Society and the Union of Composers of Yugoslavia, the 100th anniversary of Josif Marinković's birth was marked by a commemorative plaque at the site of his birthplace in Vranjevo. However, after that, the name and work of this prominent representative of Serbian Romanticism and the founder of Serbian solo song once again slipped into oblivion.
It wasn’t until twenty years later, thanks also to Ivan Janković and Branislav Bata Kiselički, the director of the "Vranjevo" Elementary School and the chronicler of our town, that the connection was renewed with the descendants of Marinković's daughter. Dr. Ivan Valčić, the grandson of Josif Marinković, donated a rich collection of Marinković's personal items to the school, which eventually formed the invaluable Memorial Collection about Josif Marinković, now housed in the "Glavaševa House" Local History Museum.
During the celebration of the 120th anniversary of Josif Marinković's birth, the main street of Vranjevo was named after him, as was the newly constructed elementary school, and the town choir became the "Josif Marinković Choral Society." This preserved the memory of Josif Marinković, and the desire to revive his work was realized through "Horizons."
On the stage of the Cultural Center, young artists and numerous vocal talents, who have built beautiful artistic careers and now achieve notable successes both in the country and abroad, performed. Among them, the baritone Željko Lučić, winner of the first "Horizons," is often cited as one of the most successful opera singers from this region. Today, he performs in Frankfurt, London, New York, and Vienna, and we had the privilege and honor to hear him first and award him in Novi Bečej.
Other winners on this stage include baritones Vasa Stajkić and Vladimir Andrić, tenor Dejan Maksimović, mezzo-sopranos Nataša Jović, Aleksandra Angelov, Violeta Srećković, Jelena Končar, soprano Sofija Pižurica, and many others who are now successfully performing in the Belgrade and Novi Sad opera houses and the Madlenianum in Zemun.
The composition competition "Horizons on the Tisa" produced about seventy new solo songs by renowned domestic composers: Konstantin Babić, Dejan Despić, Dimitrije Golemović, Zoran Hristić, Vojin Komadina, Zoran Mulić, Stanko Šepić, Miroslav Štatkić, Svetozar Saša Kovačević, Minta Aleksinački, Miloš Zatkalik, Vera Milanković, and others, which have enriched the repertoire of our solo singers.
Alongside "Horizons" in Novi Bečej, in Vranjevo's main street, in school choirs and orchestras, with Zaga, Danijela, Sanja, Danijela, and other music teachers, some new kids who loved to sing grew up. They performed with the choir, reaching "Horizons," singing songs by Konstantin Babić and Dimitrije Golemović, and were guests at Dubravka Nešović's concert, singing about how our house is rich and worth three hundred ducats. Some of them, like their famous ancestor Josif Marinković, decided that music would be their life's calling.
Ileš Bečei, Marina Krulj, Sanja Milenković, and Predrag Kačavenda grew up with "Horizons" and became competitors. They delighted their fellow townspeople with their songs, bringing joy to their parents and teachers. Marina and Predrag are completing their music academy studies, Sanja brings joy to us with her singing and the "Horizons" orchestra, and Ileš is already building a successful career as an opera singer in Sarajevo.
I am sorry that Branislav Kiselički, our dear "Uncle Bata," who kept Josif Marinković as the greatest treasure of this town and who questioned until the end of his life whether we had done enough to honor the great artist, is no longer with us. I believe we have an answer that would have made him happy.
In this Cultural Center, much reminds us of our dear friend Zagorka Jegdić, our Zaga, and how could it not, as she left her mark on everything she touched, with the legacy to preserve the song, to wait for the horizons on the Tisa, to welcome friends. She left us her Spark of culture to light our way forever.
And all that can be said in the end is:
THANK YOU JOSIF MARINKOVIĆ, BRANISLAV KISELIČKI, AND ZAGORKA JEGDIĆ
The speech text was prepared by Slavica Kovačev, using the works of Konstantin Babić, Marija Adamov, and Branislav Kiselički.
In Novi Bečej, May 20, 2016.
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