Chicago’s Branko Radichevich Choir will mark its 120th anniversary on November 14 with a concert at Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral. The choir will perform exactly 120 years after its founding, with its senior and junior singers joined by the Lira choir from Washington, D.C.
The concert opens a two-day celebration for Chicago’s Serbian American community. On Sunday, November 15, the cathedral will hold an anniversary banquet after the Divine Liturgy.
A Choir Founded by Serbian Immigrants in 1906
Serbian immigrants on Chicago’s North Side founded the Branko Radichevich Singing Society on November 14, 1906. They named it after Serbian poet Branko Radičević. The choir later became known as the Brankies.
The Chicago group also helped establish the Serbian Singing Federation of America and Canada. The federation traces its founding to the Brankies’ first national convention in 1931, when the choir marked its 25th anniversary.
Chicago and Washington Choirs Share the Anniversary Program
Saturday’s concert will feature both the Brankies Senior Choir and Junior Choir. Lira will travel from Washington, D.C., to perform as the guest choir. The program brings together younger and older singers from Chicago and a visiting choir from another Serbian American community.
The cathedral chose “One Voice Across Generations” as the theme for the weekend. After Saturday’s concert, the celebration moves to Sunday’s liturgy and banquet, where the parish will mark the choir’s anniversary with the wider community.
