The Serbian people, greatly exhausted after their retreat through Albania and following their long recovery, were faced not only with ongoing war actions, but also with a kind of ‘struggle’ to preserve Serbian culture and the image of Serbia in the eyes of the Allied countries. From the very beginning of the War, Serbia had been receiving military and financial aid from Russia, France and Great Britain. Nevertheless, until 1916 Serbia remained largely below the radar of foreign countries. Only after Serbia’s military defeat – upon the retreat through Albania – did the image of a small country fighting for its freedom start to be acknowledged by the Allied countries, which then began organizing many events in aid of the refugees, the wounded and the war orphans. Various humanitarian organisations continued their activities, one of them being the Serbian Relief Fund in London, which, among other things, aided the Serbian Red Cross. During 1915 and 1916, the newly-formed Swiss humanitarian funds (Comité vaudois de secours aux Serbes, founded by Archibald Reiss, and Comité suisse de secours aux Serbes, founded in Geneva) sent relief aid to the Serbian people and war orphans in the occupied country, which was made possible by the fact that they came from a neutral state.
Serbian intellectuals played a major role in campaigning for Serbian culture by systematically raising awareness about Serbia in European cities. As a result of these efforts, Kossovo Day was celebrated in 1916 in Great Britain and France (and two years later in the USA), accompanied by different cultural events (books were published and concerts with suitable subject matter were held).
Musicians, the Orchestra of the King’s Guard and the Band of the Cavalry Division in particular, conducted a music campaign by giving concerts more often than before the war in order to meet "the growing need for strengthening the friendship with the Allied countries" or to raise money for instruments and musical scores. In 1916, the Band of the Cavalry Division toured the cities of Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco (to raise funds for the construction of the Serbian cemetery in Bizerte). In addition to uniting political and cultural goals in the war, musicians had the mission of maintaining friendly relations with Tunisia. These efforts resulted in a great number of friendships with foreign musicians. The concert repertoires regularly featured patriotic compositions by foreign authors as well as the Allied countries’ national anthems.
Serbian intellectuals played a major role in campaigning for Serbian culture by systematically raising awareness about Serbia in European cities. As a result of these efforts, Kossovo Day was celebrated in 1916 in Great Britain and France (and two years later in the USA), accompanied by different cultural events (books were published and concerts with suitable subject matter were held).
Musicians, the Orchestra of the King’s Guard and the Band of the Cavalry Division in particular, conducted a music campaign by giving concerts more often than before the war in order to meet "the growing need for strengthening the friendship with the Allied countries" or to raise money for instruments and musical scores. In 1916, the Band of the Cavalry Division toured the cities of Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco (to raise funds for the construction of the Serbian cemetery in Bizerte). In addition to uniting political and cultural goals in the war, musicians had the mission of maintaining friendly relations with Tunisia. These efforts resulted in a great number of friendships with foreign musicians. The concert repertoires regularly featured patriotic compositions by foreign authors as well as the Allied countries’ national anthems.
Zillhart, Ethel. Kossovo: Serbia’s hymn of glory. London: Novello and company, cop. 1919.
Ethel Uhlhorn Zillhart composed the song for voice with piano accompaniment Kossovo – Serbia’s Hymn of Glory probably inspired by the vigorous campaign of Serbian intellectuals and their English friends in London during the Great War. The hymn was composed after the English adaptation of an extract from the Serbian epic song "The servant Miloutine" (part of The Battle of Kosovo cycle) and was dedicated to the Hon. Evelina Haverfield (1867-1920), an English woman who was devoted to the Serbian people from the beginning of the Great War until her death in a small Serbian town, Bajina Bašta. The hymn was sung on the occasion of the memorial service for Hon. Mrs Evelina Haverfield, held in Southwark Cathedral (London), with the composer Miss Ethel Zillhart in attendance.
[Jenko, Davorin]. The Serbian national anthem. London: Kossovo Day committee, [1916].
One of the most prominent results of the Serbian diplomatic campaign was the celebration of Vidovdan in England in 1916, under the name Kossovo Day. In 1916 several books* were published in London that introduced the English public to the historical facts about the Kosovo battle as well as to its significance for the ethical code of the Serbian people. It was the Kossovo Day Committee that published The Serbian National Anthem, arranged for piano, with the text in English.
* https://archive.org/details/kossovoday13891900lond
https://archive.org/details/layofkossovoserb00harviala/page/n5
* https://archive.org/details/kossovoday13891900lond
https://archive.org/details/layofkossovoserb00harviala/page/n5
[Jenko, Davorin]. The Serbian.. Royal Anthem. Liverpool: Serbian Red Cross Society, s. a.
The Serbian Royal Anthem was also published in Liverpool, in at least eleven editions. In terms of music, it was the same piano arrangement as the London edition. On the cover page it says that "the entire proceeds of sale [...] will be devoted" to the Serbian Red Cross Society.
Chansons et danses serbes. Zurich: Zürcher et Furrer, 1917.
The Serbian songs and dances (Chansons et Danses serbes) edition (1917) was sold for charity and includes a short foreword about Serbian songs and dances as well as advice on how they should be performed. All the proceeds of the sale went to the Comité suisse de secours aux Serbes, to be used specially to aid Serbian orphans. The cover page features a drawing by the painter Mirko Rački (1879-1982).
Heath, John R. “Serbian” quartet: for strings. London: J. & W. Chester, cop. 1919.
John R. Heath (1887-1950) composed the Serbian Quartet inspired by the motives and rhythms of the Serbian folk songs he had heard in Thessaloniki, where he served as doctor in the Royal Army Medical Corps during the Great War.
The Quartet was published in 1919 in London, and a copy of the score is kept at the Faculty of Music as part of Miloje Milojević’s personal collection.
The Quartet was published in 1919 in London, and a copy of the score is kept at the Faculty of Music as part of Miloje Milojević’s personal collection.
Heath, John. Serbian quartet, 2nd movement. (midi)
Miloyevich, Miloye. Miniatures serbes. London: J. & W. Chester, 1917.
Heath and Milojević might have met in Thessaloniki, where the Serbian composer was stationed with the High Command during 1916 and 1917. Whether by coincidence or thanks to this acquaintance, Milojević’s Miniatures op. 2 were published in London in 1917 by J. & W. Chester, the same publisher with whom Heath also published his works. Milojević’s Miniatures op. 2 were published five times in the period from 1914 to 1965. However, only the London (war) edition bore the national attribute ‘Serbian’ (Miniatures Serbes). The cover page of this edition states that it was "published in aid of the Serbian Red Cross Fund by the generosity of Pavle Mitrovich, Dubrovnik".
So, it appears that every publication from the period of the Great War tells a special story about the individuals and ‘music that waged war’ not only on the battlefield, but also on the field of campaigning, charity work and, ultimately, on the field of connecting rather than separating people from different meridians.
So, it appears that every publication from the period of the Great War tells a special story about the individuals and ‘music that waged war’ not only on the battlefield, but also on the field of campaigning, charity work and, ultimately, on the field of connecting rather than separating people from different meridians.
Georgevitch, T. R. Macedonia. London: George Allen, 1918.
Tihomir Đorđević (1868-1944), the older brother of composer Vladimir R. Đorđević, was an ethnologist, folklorist, historian and professor at the University in Belgrade. In the First World War, he was a hospital company commander and, after the retreat through Albania, he was transferred to France and afterwards to England. In London he was a member of the "Serbian club" with other intellectuals (Bogdan and Pavle Popović, Jovan Cvijić and others), where he worked on promoting Serbia.
Tihomir Đorđević also gave a lecture about Serbia, its history and folklore for the English public, which "was not favourably disposed" towards his country at the time. In this period, he wrote a book called Macedonia, published in English in London in 1918, which shows his closeness to the ideals of Yugoslavism. The book is extensive and, according to some ethnologists, still politically topical. The preliminary page of our copy of this publication contains the author’s dedication to his brother Vladimir
Tihomir Đorđević also gave a lecture about Serbia, its history and folklore for the English public, which "was not favourably disposed" towards his country at the time. In this period, he wrote a book called Macedonia, published in English in London in 1918, which shows his closeness to the ideals of Yugoslavism. The book is extensive and, according to some ethnologists, still politically topical. The preliminary page of our copy of this publication contains the author’s dedication to his brother Vladimir
Perrin, Clément. Croix de Guerre. Salonique: l'auteur, 1916.
The composition Croix de Guerre by Clément Perrin (1876-1970) contains the author’s dedication to Dragutin Pokorný and attests to the friendship between the conductor of the Band of the Cavalry Division and French military musicians: "Au Capitaine Pokorný en souvenir de son passage a Alger avec les salutations respectueuses de l’auteur". There is an illustration of the French decoration Croix de Guerre (Cross of War) with golden palm on the front page of this edition of the solemn march Croix de Guerre.
Volkmann, Berthe Laborde. Revanche: marche militaire. Alger: Bijoux - concert, [1916].
Revanche, composed by Berthe Laborde Volkmann, was published in Algeria in 1916 and was dedicated to the French Marshal Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre (1852-1931) in token of "friendly admiration". At Algerian concerts, the vocal part was sung by Sergine d’Auvray, as attested by this edition. The cover page features a friendly dedication to Dragutin Pokorný, evidence of close cultural connections.
Laffage, Antonin. Al-Jaïch. Tunis : A. Laffage, s. a.
The publications kept in the collection of Dragutin Pokorný include Arabic songs as a testimony of the meeting of different cultures. One of them is Al Jaïch for voice and piano by composer Antonin Laffage (1858-1926). The back cover features the signature of violin player Nikola Nikolić and the note "music serbe" (музик сербе) in Cyrillic script.
Santoliquido, Francesco. Ferhuda: scene di vita araba in 3 atti. Roma: E. Grandi, cop. 1920.
While in Tunisia, Dragutin Pokorný formed a deep and firm friendship with the Italian composer Francesco Santoliquido (1883-1971), who lived in the Tunisian town of Hammamet during the Great War. Evidently, Santoliquido expressed his friendly devotion to the bandmaster of the Band of the Cavalry Division by presenting him with some of his works, so several of them can be found in Pokorný’s legacy. These include the libretto of the opera Ferhuda as well as two copies of the piano score of that opera, all of which include a dedication from the composer. The front page of one of these piano scores contains a note written by Pokorný: "At the request of the composer, I was meant to conduct the premiere of this opera in Tunisia in 1918 with my Band, but as I was ordered to go back to Thessaloniki and Serbia that same year, the composer himself ended up conducting it. Pokorný."
Santoliquido, Francesco. La favola di Helga. Milano: G. Ricordi & Co., 1910.
The dedication on the piano score of the musical drama The Story about Helga (La favola di Helga) by Francesco Santoliquido: "Au Cap. Drag. Pokorný, souvenir de la première exécution de ‘Il profumo delle oasi sahariane’ à Bizerte, Francesco Santoliquido, Bizerte, le 3 février 1918." suggests that Dragutin Pokorný attended the premiere of Il profumo delle oasi sahariane. The collection of concert programmes housed in the National Library of Serbia in Belgrade and available to the public on the Veliki rat website leads us to believe that it was the Band of the Cavalry Division, with Pokorný as conductor, that participated in the performance of this symphonic sketch on June 22, 1918.
La guerre de l'Allemagne. [S. l. : s. n.], 1915.
The book The War in Germany (La guerre de l’Allemagne) is partially damaged, making it impossible to identify its author. Furthermore, on the basis of the dedication ("In honour of Serbia and its soldiers embodied in the personality of Captain Dragutin Pokorný...") and the content (military diplomacy and war events during 1914 and 1915), it can be assumed that the book was a gift from a military person. La guerre de l’Allemagne comments on the events of the first two years of the Great War. The third chapter of the book is devoted to the events in the Kingdom of Serbia during the conflict (the Sarajevo assassination, the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum point by point, war preparations), which is also discussed in several other sections of the publication.