The XIII Festival. The spiritual music concert was for the first time held in the old church of Negotin. That was women’s choir Collegium musicum, with Darinka Matić – Marović, and they performed the Mokranjac’s liturgy. After six years of discussing and persuading the concert was held in the new church with the same conductor and mixed choir “Branko Krsmanović”. After three more years and concerts of choirs, Radio Belgrade with Vladimir Kranjčević in 1988 and, above all, “Glinka” from Leningrad with Vladislav Černušenki on the closing day of 24-th Day’s of Mokranjac in 1989, the Festival at last started celebrating spiritual music concerts in the new church.
The XIV Festival introduced the permanent museum exhibit “The life and work of Stevan Mokranjac”, which was from that year, 1979, supplemented with his personal belongings. The items have remained in his birth house until the present day. The number of concerts has been doubled in those 14 years, and more than 200 composers were represented in over 100 concerts. The majority of the programme has been preformed by 40 choirs from Former Yugoslavia and abroad. In 1979, the town saw the promenade of folkloric groups for the last time.
The XV Festival, (1980) The gatherings of ethnologists and folklorists that were prevailing in the past have now disappeared and only musicologists have remained – The Symposium that has been preserved until today, with temporary interruptions and different forms, in order to enrich the written word – not only one considering Mokranjac, but also the entire musical creativity before and after Mokranjac. In 1980 the standing sculpture of Mokranjac was placed in front of the house and since then every opening of the festival, speeches and oratories takes place in front of it… Nebojša Mitrić, the sculptor, is the author of the Mokranjac statuette which is every year granted to the winner in the out singing competition. The awarded wins the right to a whole evening concert next year.
XVIII Festival 1983. “The composer’s profile” was introduced for the first time. It represented, through the conversation with the artist and through his music, life and work of Vasilije Mokranjac, then the next year it was Stanojlo Rajičić, followed by Bruno Bjelinski. The special programme known as “Music of Yugoslavian people“ was established in 1983 when preformers presented musical inheritance and modern accomplishments.
Hajduk Veljko was the famous Negotin defender from 1813 and during this festival his monument was exposed at the city square.
The old ideas were being replaced by new ones throughout the years.
The monumental works of vocal- instrumental music arrived without any difficulties to the Festival. Handle “Mesia choir“ and RTB (Radio Television Belgrade) orchestra with Vladimir Krnjavčević, 1985 (The XX Festival). Carl Orf’s Carmina Burana (was preformed in the halls of Krajina Vino company in 1986 (The XXI Festival). The Festival tends to expand its name and the name of Mokranjac over the borderlines of our country, having in mind that his work already has crossed them. The XX Festival managed to change the date of its begining in order to avoid every coincidance with the fair. The noise from the fair followed the music in a quite unpleasant way and the audiance had already had many differences.
The XXV Festival, (1990) obtained at last representative space in the newly built Community center “Stevan Mokranjac” in the city centre, with a remarkable scene, 570 seats, wardrobe and other technical conditions.
The Day’s of Mokranjac has become a prestigious music Festival that honours every invited performer.