On 6 May my friend, Elvis Ibragic, took me to visit Vijećnica, Sarajevo's City Hall and BiH National University Library. In 1992 the building was destroyed by mortar attacks from Serb forces and approximately 2 million books and a great number of its special collections and documents were consumed in the flames.
Not long after, three grenades killed 26 people and wounded 108 while they were waiting for bread in Ferhadija street (Vaso Miskin). The spot is marked on the pavement by one of the Sarajevo 'roses' which have been engraved where these mortuary mortar shells landed. You have to take care to avoid walking on them.
Cellist Vedran Smajlović played in the destroyed Library and for 26 days played Tomaso Albinoni’s Adagio in G minor in Ferhadija Street. I was pleased to see that the library's museum has this montage photo of him playing in the ruins, with a cello placed in front of it.
When he arrived in London I took him to perform the adagio at Watford Girls Grammar School and he helped War Child raise money for our music projects.
You can listen to the adagio at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u99f9RAvwu4
We often hear the refrain ‘Never Again’, but sadly there is too much' again'. Here is someone who might, right now, if still alive, be playing the adagio in Gaza
