1 ST London
Festival of
Bulgarian
Culture www.lfbc.eu
Programme
Friday, 12 November 2010, 7.30pm
St. John’s, Smith Square, London
THE LONDON BULGARIAN CHOIR
Presented and organised by Brochure Design by
Classical Concerts Productions Evgeni Vasilev
www.classicalconcertsproductions.com www.LLip.org
© Tony Killen
© Justin Palmer
A DECADE A BRAND NEW SOUND
In November 2000, Dessi gathered a handful of friends and Tonight, we mark the Choir’s ten-year journey by launching
Bulgarian music enthusiasts in the Islington Arts Factory. six spine-tingling, newly commissioned songs by acclaimed
On that night, the London Bulgarian Choir was born Bulgarian composer Kiril Todorov.
– but never renamed. Now, forty-strong and thoroughly Kiril’s arrangements of traditional songs and original
international, we have brought the traditional folk music of compositions are already a vital part of the Choir’s
Bulgaria not only to concert halls and churches, but also repertoire. His new songs have taken us on an electrifying
to nightclubs, festivals, rock concerts and even a barge on musical journey – both metaphorical and real. Less
the Thames. than three months ago, the Choir travelled to Bulgaria
The Choir’s notable achievements include winning the title and performed the songs to the composer’s friends and
of BBC Radio 3 Open Choir of the Year in 2006, featuring colleagues. This discerning audience was amazed and
as one of Joan Armatrading’s Favourite Choirs on BBC moved: from the joyous Sabrali Sa Se Nabrali, featuring
Radio 4 and performing at Westminster Abbey in 2010. the unsuspected talents of the singers on a variety of
We have collaborated with numerous rock, jazz and instruments, to the haunting resonance of Razbolyal Se E
classical musicians, most prominently with rock band Mlad Stoyan – a dying hero’s last words to his mother.
Doves at the BBC Electric Proms, broadcast live on BBC 2
in October 2009. Members of our choir sang on the award-
winning soundtrack of the BBC’s Elizabeth, the Virgin
Queen. We are very proud of our beautiful album, Alyana
Galyana and our Christmas Concert DVD.
The Choir would like to thank the BBC’s Performing Arts
Fund for the award which made the commission possible
and the Bulgarian Embassy in London for its vital support
www.londonbulgarianchoir.co.uk and hospitality.
KIRIL TODOROV DESSISLAVA STEFANOVA
Kiril started his professional life as concertmaster for the Dessi grew up singing the songs of her native Bulgaria. An
Stara Zagora Opera. In his late twenties, his love of folk experienced international performer by age 18, she went
music led him to abandon the violin and start writing choral on to become a professional singer and assistant conductor
arrangements of traditional songs he had learnt as a child with the renowned Philip Koutev Bulgarian National Folk
form his mother. During his 50-year career as a composer, Ensemble. Since 2000, she has been working in the UK
he has written for hundreds of theatre productions and performing in various art forms, recording film soundtracks
directed some of the leading folk choirs. With his pioneering and delivering workshops. Her voice can be heard
vocal ensembles Trayana and Folk Scat, he was the first lending drama to key moments in Troy, The Brothers
composer in Bulgaria to blend folk and jazz into a new, Grimm, Elizabeth the Virgin Queen, Ghost Ship, Atlantis
sublime a cappella genre. In March 2010, he was made and Borat.
Emeritus Professor by the Bulgarian Academy of Science
in recognition of his contribution to music.
THE SINGERS MEET THE NEW SONGS
“It has been an immense pleasure and a great honour to cry of dissatisfaction and began to wave his arms about
learn songs directly from the composer. Kiril Todorov is like some wild and windy embodiment of his music. And
such a humble man with such a big heart who conveys his as if by magic we began to sing like we were in the lonely
songs with great passion, the most poetic nuances and a woods, the lightening-battered mountains. It was amazing.
delicious helping of humour.” Bernard whispered to me, ‘He’s like a wizard! It’s like he’s
Ulrike, choir member since 2001 casting spells or something!’.
Steve, soloist in Razbolyal Se E Mlad Stoyan
“Kiril’s writing has brought out the glorious, muscular, soulful and choir member since 2005
sound of our men, as well as the heart and sense of humour
that are such a trademark of our choir. Barely speaking a “Kiril generously invited the whole choir, plus our entourage
word of English, Kiril communicates so beautifully through of friends, partners and children, to what was modestly
mime, through his expressions and his brightly glowing called ‘breakfast’. This garden feast lasted all morning,
eyes. He has frequently had us in stitches, and yet always and if we hadn’t needed to pile back onto the tour bus for
encourages us to aim higher as musicians.” our next gig, we might still be there. We met Kiril’s family
Veronica, choir member since 2004 and friends at their breakfast extravaganza. His cousin
sang for us, and we discovered she’d also made all 89
“Singing one of the solos that Kiril has written is so pancakes. I told Kiril that I love singing his songs and that
humbling and a bit scary! He flew over to London in March. I enjoy the challenge. He replied ‘You’ve got many more
At one point, during rehearsals for Razbolyal Se E Mlad to look forward to!’”
Stoyan, he eased himself out of his chair with a civilised Deanna, founder member
BULGARIAN TOUR 2010
Meeting the locals
In the misty mountains of Koprivshtitsa, the tour bus stopped with choir songs, starting a musical conversation that
at the train station to pick up some extra passengers: Dessi’s crossed forests and rivers, villages and cities.
mother, Juliana, and the Choir’s friend and composer, Kiril Later that night, in a restaurant, the Choir met another
Todorov. We decided to greet the pair with a song, and group of women. They were celebrating their performance
lined up on the platform for a warm-up in anticipation of with a long meal and plenty to drink, and burst into the sort
the delayed arrival of the train. A couple of songs later, we of song you’d normally expect to hear from a Geordie truck
were thrilled to hear claps and shouts of ‘Bravo!’ from the driver. As the women belted out their colourful message
stationary train across the platform. To our amusement, about personal hygiene, to shrieks of embarrassment
Plamen, a choir guest, seized the opportunity to collect from anybody who understood, the restaurateurs decided
a few sneaky coins from the train. And a local policeman enough was enough and told them to leave. But they carried
seized the opportunity to enforce the “no begging” rule, on dancing and singing with us until the early hours of the
while putting a coin or two into the hat. morning, and some of us croaked for the next three days.
Diana and Jordan, both Bulgarian, began our first cultural
exchange at the world-famous festival of Bulgarian Hospitality
music Koprivshtitsa, with a group of grannies in the There really is nothing like Slavic hospitality. Stoianka,
woods backstage. The women sat singing their beautiful granny of our sixteen-year old host singer Yanna, had been
songs and our Bulgarians could close their eyes and be baking all day. We were treated to a feast of Bulgarian food:
transported to a childhood filled with tradition. We replied shopska salad, made with the juiciest, most flavoursome
cucumbers and tomatoes I have ever eaten; home-baked electric – 300 people had squashed themselves into the
banitsa (filo pastry layered with whisked egg and sheep’s theatre seats and the aisles, sat on the floor at the front
cheese), with and without sugar; moussaka, homemade and squeezed onto the steps at either side of the stage. As
breads, cured meats and, in the tradition of every Bulgarian the choir walked in single file onto the stage, the audience
home that has a grapevine on the premises, home-brewed settled down, stopped squabbling, and clapped. After the
rakiya (brandy). Our gift of a Fortnum and Mason caddy first song, the applause was rapturous. There. That wasn’t
of teabags with stem ginger biscuits seemed utterly so bad! As the performers found their feet, they won the
inadequate. I asked Jordan what we could possibly buy hearts of everyone there, and 40 voices sang as one.
this Bulgarian family to say thank you. His reply was, “My After the last song, a procession of well-wishers formed to
grandfather always said, ‘I can’t drink gratitude!’” So with his present endless huge bouquets of flowers to Dessi, and
guidance, we bought them the best bottle of rakiya we could indeed her mother. Dessi’s childhood choir, the Zagorche
find. Of course, this was immediately countered by their gift Ensemble, gave the Choir 12 traditional costumes in
of a bottle of exquisite home-brew to take away with us. honour of their achievements in disseminating Bulgarian
music in the UK. This was an extraordinarily generous gift,
From the audience and a precious moment for the Choir.
The central concert of our tour was in Dessi and Kiril’s
home city of Stara Zagora, the unofficial debut for four of Tanya Jackson, future choir member, 2010
Kiril’s newly commissioned works. The atmosphere was
CREDITS
ORGANISER FESTIVAL PARTNERS Bulgarian National Radio Rumiana Blagoeva
Classical Concerts Productions Bulgarian Embassy in London Bulgarian National Television David Jones
Cerise Art Agency TV7 Bulgaria Boian Kolebinov
Thames Valley University Bulgaria Abroad Evgeni Kaydamov
PATRONS Serious Public Republic Dessislava Stefanova
Sonia Rouve – Ouvalieva Carboni Classical Media Media BG Net Shyukrie Habil
President of Ouvaliev Evgeni Vasilev Kulturni Novini Kalin Ivanov
Foundation BG Ben Newspaper Mladej TV Velislava Dimitrova
Bulgarian Business Club Book of Bulgaria Angelina Nova
Yordanka Fandakova Balkan Holidays Deutchewelle Bulgaria Martin Georgiev
Mayor of Sofia Bulgarian City Club Dnes i Utre Andrei Vrabchev
Zornitsa Rangelova Devorina Gamalova
Dimitar Berbatov Lepton Productions Marius Carboni
President of “Dimitar Berbatov” BV Artists International THE FESTIVAL Gillian French
Foundation Boian Kolebinov WISH TO THANK Clare Lyons
The Bulgarian Embassy in Dessislava Naydenova
Vezhdi Rashidov London Tanya Pavlova-Yankova
Minister of Culture of Republic MEDIA PARTNERS - Yordan Yordanov
of Bulgaria UNITED KINGDOM Boyanka Arnaudova
BG Ben Newspaper AND IN NO PARTICULAR Silvia Mihailova
H. R. H. Prince Kyril of Bulgaria BBC Music Magazine ORDER Strumen Paunov
Honorary President of the Classic FM Magazine Sonia Rouve-Ouvalieva Slavka Radeva
Bulgarian City Club Classical Music Magazine Sonia Kultuklieva Ivo Varbanov
Budilnik Sulamita Aronovsky Lachezar Stankov
Bulgarian City Club Gwyn Pritchard Polly Hunt
SPONSORS Radio Tatkovina Evgeni Vassilev Martina Hajjar
Kamen Shoylev - New Balkans Find a National Kamen Shoylev Michael and Catherine
Law Office Alexander Stoyanov Schofield
Levenes Personal Injury Elena Todorova-Stanev Olga Bosseva
Solicitors London MEDIA PARTNERS - Dobrinka Tabakova
and Birmingham - Accident BULGARIA Bob and Elisabeth Boas
Claims Lawyers BTA Kristine Blaumane
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During the interval and after the concert the Restaurant is open for licensed refreshments and post-concert sup-
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