On 20 November 2022, the large hall of the Verbrugghen Hall Conservatorium hosted a festive concert of the choir of the Sydney Lazarica, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

The festive concert was attended by His Grace Siluan, the Bishop of Australia and New Zealand, Archimandrite Petar, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia Rade Stefanović, chargé d’affaires Ivana Ivančević, former conductors and members of the choir, and a large audience.

The guest choirs St Kassiani from the Antiochian Metropolitanate and Lepta Russian Orthodox Choir took part in addition to the Lazarica choir, the Lazarikon ensemble, and the Zvončići Children’s Choir.

The mission of the Lazarica choir has always been to preserve Serbian Orthodox spirituality and Orthodox musical creativity. The choir had its first official performance in the same hall 30 years ago under the baton of prof. Slobodan Živković. Every week, the choir sings actively at holy liturgies, not only in Lazarica, but also throughout Australia.

The concert included first ever presentation of the Zvončići Children’s Choir, under the direction of Dragana Milanović, which is an integral part of the Serbian language school at the Church Municipality of Saint Prince Lazar. Through musical education and joint work on stage, the choir aims primarily to develop a love for music in children and that children gain spiritual and national confidence by promoting Orthodox spiritual and Serbian traditional music.

The choir paid special recognition to its conductors: prof. Slobodan Živković, one of the founders and the first conductor of the choir at St Lazar Church since October 1992, which otherwise existed since 1961, Tijana Miljovska who led the choir for over seven years, Marija Ćuk for her contribution, Nenad Jakovljević under whose direction the choir performed on numerous stages in Sydney, prof. Sanja Drljača for her great and selfless support, to the current conductor Dragana Milanović for her perseverance and great dedication to the choir.

- With their singing, the Lazarica choir conveyed to the faithful the secret and beauty of the relationship of the Church and the people of God with God through sacred liturgical singing. In addition to its liturgical mission, for years the choir has represented not only its temple of Saint Prince Lazar, but also the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand of the Serbian Orthodox Church both at local celebrations in Australia and at international gatherings, reminded Bishop Siluan extending congratulations on the great jubilee.

Source and photo: Serbian Orthodox Church – Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand