Taken from News Portal Slobodna Dalmacija

By Marija Lončar

This year, Šibenska Narodna Glazba is celebrating 170 years of continuous activity, and they plan to mark this jubilee with a series of events, including two celebratory concerts – a summer concert at St. Michael’s Fortress and New Year’s Eve Concert at the Šibenik Theater. The musicians, however, lack the money to celebrate, so the president of society, Jere Pancirov, decided to ask for financial help from local entrepreneurs and companies. Šibenska Narodna Glazba received 175,000 kuna from the city budget this year, which is at the level of regular budget allocations, and the amount to be given by the Šibenik-Knin County is still unknown. However, if it is at the same level as last year – 35,000 kuna, there will be no celebration without donations.

– The money we received from the City of Šibenik and the money we expect from the County covers our regular activities, but these funds cannot cover everything we would like to organize. That’s why we sent letters to about a hundred addresses asking for financial help. Regardless of the amount, any donation will mean a lot – said Pancirov.

The program that celebrates the 170th anniversary has not yet been fully defined, but the biggest event according to Pancirov, would be the music weekend in October, when Šibenska Narodna Glazba plans to host community bands from several other cities.

– We want to organize a busy and bustling weekend with musicians coming as our guests, and we expect about 150 people. It is also the most expensive event because of the cost of accommodation. If we managed to collect 50,000 kuna in donations, we would be more than satisfied – explains Pancirov.

In less than a month, our musicians are competing at the Festival of Wind Orchestras of Northern and Central Dalmatia in Zadar. After that, they will be intensively preparing for the gala summer concert. This traditional concert used to be performed on the summer stage at  St. Jacob’s Cathedral, but last year they climbed up to the St. Michael’s Fortress for the first time and that big summer stage will be the venue of this year’s concert as well.

The musicians are planning a big exhibition in November. The exhibition will showcase the history and importance of Šibenska Narodna Glazba, the important role it played in social and cultural life of Šibenik from its foundation in 1848 until today – during which they performed more than 12,000 times in various occasions, and even participated in making of films in the Šibenik area. The exhibition will feature the awards and recognitions they have won, as well as many other curiosities.

The year of celebrations will end with a traditional concert at the theater on December 30th.