The conductor of the mixed choir "Davorin Jenko", our Vanja, scheduled the last rehearsal of the choir in 2025 for 17 December 2025, and the members of the choir unanimously decided to turn the song into a party with food and drink, as is customary before the Christmas and New Year holidays. Besides, we had another reason to celebrate.
The oldest member of the choir, our Ziza, celebrated her 87th birthday.
The year 2025 is ending and when we look back at the past months, our choir had a successful, song-filled year. Among other things, we sang at the opening ceremony of the Slovenian language classroom at the Faculty of Philology. Our song was also heard in the documentary film "100 years of Slovenians in Slatina". We hosted choirs from Bosnia and Herzegovina at traditional choir meetings. We also sang in Slatina on the "XVI Slovenian Day". The choir also participated in the "Review of the Cultural Creativity of the National Minorities of the Republic of Srpska" which was of a humanitarian nature under the name "All Minorities for Little Heroes". We also sang at "XXVI St. Martin’s Day" where we performed three songs. In June, the choir visited Nova Gorica and had three performances in different locations as part of the "Welcome Home" event.
Choir members not only like choir singing, but also participating in cultural events organized by the Association, showing their love for the culture, language and customs of the Slovenians.
So we have reason to celebrate. According to the earlier agreement, all members participated in setting up a table filled with salty and sweet delicious food that the members made themselves. And there was also some brandy, wine, juice and sour water. The sounds of familiar melodies separated the first dancers from the table. With jokes, laughter, cheerful song and dance, we said goodbye to the year 2025. At the height of the celebration, the lights went out. The choir sang a birthday song, and lit by candles and fireworks, a cake arrived for our Ziza. There were tears of surprise and joy in the eyes of the birthday girl. Besides being the oldest by age, she has also been in the choir the longest, and is always cheerful, enterprising, ready to help anyone, to draw attention to some irregularity and to give some advice based on her experience.
With good wishes on the occasion of the upcoming Christmas and New Year's holidays, we said goodbye, talking about planned performances in 2026, when the choir will mark its 25th anniversary.
Olga Suvajac
