When we talk about Bulgaria, we must know that in this small country, located on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe, live brave, intelligent and spiritual people who have had a long history of glory and poverty and who have survived centuries of slavery and oppression. Formed as a country in 681 AD Bulgaria was once one of the most powerful countries in the Balkans. In the Middle Ages it had the most glorious period in its history under Tsar Simeon I when the development of literature, arts, and music reached its peak. A period of almost five hundred years of captivity in the Ottoman Empire ruined the Bulgarian cultural and intellectual life. Only Christian monasteries and isolated mountain villages preserved the Bulgarian national values such as the Old Bulgarian literature, church music, folk customs and unique handmade arts.
The wealth of the Bulgarian national folk tradition comes not only from the folk songs but also from the variety of folk dances and folk instruments. The Bulgarian folk song reflects the history and lifestyle of the Bulgarians. It expresses the spirit, soul and emotions of the peoples and the beauty of the Bulgarian landscape. With its simple but extremely expressive musical language, and easy to sing and remember melodies, the folk songs become a part of people’s lives and join every important event in the community. The songs represent not only the ostensible forms of customs or pagan religious beliefs, but they also give the impression of a rich spiritual world, of the musical and poetic talent of the Bulgarians, and of their expansive creative imagination.
All of the above mentioned elements could apply to very many folk traditions including the ones found in the North American continent. Including Bulgarian music in the choral concert should be viewed as a source of cultural inspiration not as a difficult and troublesome task. Reading Bulgarian is easy – employ Italian vowels and read the rest phonetically. Find the hidden meaning of the text in the seemingly silly translation and do not be afraid to use our trained singing voice to interpret this folk tradition. It is indeed the way most classically trained Bulgarian choirs showcase the rich and opulent vocal tradition of this small but musically mighty Balkan country.
The wealth of the Bulgarian national folk tradition comes not only from the folk songs but also from the variety of folk dances and folk instruments. The Bulgarian folk song reflects the history and lifestyle of the Bulgarians. It expresses the spirit, soul and emotions of the peoples and the beauty of the Bulgarian landscape. With its simple but extremely expressive musical language, and easy to sing and remember melodies, the folk songs become a part of people’s lives and join every important event in the community. The songs represent not only the ostensible forms of customs or pagan religious beliefs, but they also give the impression of a rich spiritual world, of the musical and poetic talent of the Bulgarians, and of their expansive creative imagination.
All of the above mentioned elements could apply to very many folk traditions including the ones found in the North American continent. Including Bulgarian music in the choral concert should be viewed as a source of cultural inspiration not as a difficult and troublesome task. Reading Bulgarian is easy – employ Italian vowels and read the rest phonetically. Find the hidden meaning of the text in the seemingly silly translation and do not be afraid to use our trained singing voice to interpret this folk tradition. It is indeed the way most classically trained Bulgarian choirs showcase the rich and opulent vocal tradition of this small but musically mighty Balkan country.
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