Singing City Notes

Sarajevo from the hills

We spent our first full day in Sarajevo yesterday. Our morning tour took us to the heart of the oldest part of the city and we got an overview of the city's rich history and saw firsthand the places that became infamous during the civil war of the 90s -sniper alley, the old brewery situated over stores of fresh water where people braved snipers to fill containers with the only available water. The city was completely cut off from the most basic supplies during the three year siege.

Jeff being interviewed on TV

Army Hall

On stage at Army Hall

Downtown was filled with people - mainly tourists, we were told. Sarajevo is reminiscent in some ways to the Adirondacks of upstate New York. A city nestled in a valley surrounded by beautiful green mountains. The population is estimated at 400,000 but no one is quite sure since there hasn't been an official census in over 20 years. Prior to our morning tour, Jeff and I went downtown with Dragana for another morning television interview, this time with the conductor of our host choirs for last night's concert. It was a benefit concert in support of a local orphanage. Choir members donated funds and Jeff and I were able to purchase a new computer to present at the concert. The American ambassador was in attendance. Each choir sang a program on its own before joining together to sing My Lord What a Morning and a traditional Bosnian song. By the end, the audience was singing too - everyone was on their feet. A wonderful musical and personal exchange. The concert was held in the Army Hall in the old part of the city. 

Post-concert reception

In a few hours we will head to Zenica for a joint concert with the Zenica Youth Choir.

Lauren