The Canadian Croatian Choral Society would like to thank all who attended its fifth anniversary concerts “The Best of CCCS” in the spring of 2017. Concerts were held on April 30 in Etobicoke at Humber Valley United Church and on June 7 in Oakville at Holy Trinity Croatian Catholic Church.
Artistic Director Edward J. Mavrinac created another unique and inspiring program, which included traditional Croatian pieces, well-loved selections by Verdi, Mozart and Offenbach and ended with a tribute to Zagorje, a region in Croatia. The concerts also featured solos by three past Merit Award Recipients – Ivica Balaban, Julijana Hajdinjak and Andrew Šporčić. As well, the audiences enjoyed the sounds of trumpets, pipe organ, a string quartet and the tambura ensemble featuring the traditional instrument of Croatia – the Tambura.
During the concerts, the CCCS presented the annual Merit Award to Adam Mezgez who delighted audiences on piano with his rendering of Monti’s Csárdás as well as his own composition of Theme and Variations on “Daleko Mi Je Biser Jadrana” – “The Pearl of The Adriatic is Far from Me”.
Special thanks to Music Director Višnja Tijardović and Klapa Kartolina from Windsor, Ontario for their participation at the Oakville Concert. Klapa music is a UNESCO-protected form of traditional a cappella singing in Dalmatia, Croatia and is on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The word “klapa” translates as “a group of friends”.
April 30, 2017 – Best of CCCS Concert (Etobicoke)
