Figure 1.--The Bulgarian Plovdiv choir has a costume of Burgandy velvet suits with short pants. All of the boys wear the costume, imcluding boys of 15 and 16 years of age. Older teenagers participating in the choir wear long white pants.
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Figure 1.--The Bulgarian Plovdiv choir has a costume of Burgandy velvet suits with short pants. All of the boys wear the costume, imcluding boys of 15 and 16 years of age. Older teenagers participating in the choir wear long white pants. |
Bulgaria has some notable boys and childrens choirs. They were supported during the communist era by the goivernment and continue to perform today. Unfortunately we have been able to find relatively little information about the choral tradition in Bulgaria or about the individual choirs. We do know that some of the Bulagraian choirs have maintained very high standards and performed with great success at international events. Some have destinctive costumes for their performances.
Many countries of Western and Central Europe have
a long tradition of church boys' choirs dating back to the midevil era. The choirs were primarily associated with the Roman Catholic Church
and offshoots like the Anglican Church in England.
The dominate Church in Bulgaria is the Greek Orthadox Church. Although dominated by the Ottoman Turks for 500 years, their rule was relatively tolerant--much more so than Christian regimes were tolerant of Islam.
The Orthadox Church was thus allowed to survive under the Turks.
Bulgaria
as a nation appeared in the 1870s after a series of wars with the Turks and neighboring states.
The first Prince of Bulgaria was elected by a popular assembly in
1879. As an nominally independent country, the Bulgarian Church declared its independence from the Patriarch of Constantinople.
After only about 70 turbulent years as an independent
nation, the Bulgarians were "liberated" by the Red Army and the Orthadox Church once again found itself under a hostile regime. The Bulgarian Church returned to the Orthadox Communion in 1945.
I know little about the Bulgarian choral tradition. I believe that the Roman Catholic Church had a much stronger choral traditiion than the Greek Orthadox churches.
I am not sure about the history of the Bulgarian choirs or their association with churches. These choirs operated during Bulgaria's communist period. This was not unusual as boy choirs also functioned in other communist
countries such as Germany and Poland. There probably were also boy choirs in Czecheslovakia, Hungary, and Romania as well as the Baltic Republics,
but I have no information on those countries at this time. Presumably they received financial support from the communist authorities. Such support is no longer avilable and some of the choirs are npe struggling financially. One older Belgian chorister is concerned about the difficulties that his and other Belgian choirs face. He writes HBC, "You know, nowadays, it's getting harder and harder to maintain a choir. This is the sad truth in Bulgaria. But even after all the difficulties, Varna boys choir has always kept its high level. Please, note that in Bulgaria, unfortunately, NOBODY gives money for choir music. My opinion is that this is a culture ignorence."
Figure 2.--This image shows the Children and Vocal Choral School of Bourgas at one of their concerts. The Bourgas puts more of an imphasis on folk music and their uniform have Bulgarian-style detailing. |
I have little information about specific Bulgarian choirs. I only know specifically of a few Bulgarian choirs.
Another delightful Bulgarian choir is the Children and Vocal Choral School of Bourgas. While perhaps not approaching the classical standards of the Plovdiv choir, the Bourgas is still a delight. The children and youth choral school of Bourgas is one of the well known musical non professional formations in Bulgaria. During 1947 in Bourgas was established children choir, which formed the basis for organizing of entire choral school years later /1962/. Since 1972 begins its stabilizing and permanent ascending development. The
participants in the Choral School--students from different schools in the town range from 5 to 19 years old. Most of the participants for some reason appear to be girls, but some intrepid boys join with the girls. Up to 200 children participte. They are grouped in different formations according to their age and singing experience.
The prestige of the School is upholded by the Children Choir, which units the efforts of the most qualified members of the Choral School. From expupils of the Children and Youth Choir School is formed Mixed Youth Choir. Its age limit is 30 years old.The children Choir is winner of first and special prizes of the Europian competitions in Neerpelt - Belgium,
Debretsen - Hungary, Bilgoshtch - Poland, Varna - Bulgaria, Verona - Italy. International tours were produced in ex Jugoslavia, ex USSR, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Spain, and Sweden.
The Bourgas school and choir puts more of an imphasis on folk music and relgious chants and their uniform have Bulgarian-style detailing. The concert repertoir includes pieces from different styles and ages. In the program of both formations are included Church-Slavonic chants, pieces from
Renaissance till present days. Widely used are more enveloping pieces like Cantata-Oratorio pieces from Pergolezi, Vivaldi, Motzart, Haidn, Broukner, etc.
Since 1962 till today chief conductor of the Choral School has been Mrs. Milka Stoeva. The formation is under the leadership of Youth Cultural Center and Bourgas
Administration. Concerts abroad include:
1964, 1969, 1976 Czechoslovakia;
1971 Yugoslavia;
1972 Belgium and Germany;
1975 Belgium and Holand;
1983, 1985 Poland;
1984, 1988, 1994 Germany;
1986 Hungary;
1990, 1991 Italy;
1992 Sweden; and
1995 Spain
Figure 3.--The Bulgarian Plovdiv choir, like many choirs, give considerable attention to appearance and the details of their uniform. Notice that all the boys wear short pants of about the same length. |
One Bulgarian choir I know of is the Plovdiv choir. I know very little about the choir other than Plovdiv is one of Bulgaria's major cities. It does appear to be a very highly regarded choir. One expert on boys' choral music writes, ''The Plovdiv boys are performing and making music, and not only singing. Stefka Blagoeva is an excellently
trained and dedicated musician. Her whole person
exhales sincerity, spontaneity, candor, a fiery
temperament, delicate sensibility and a wealth of
emotions''. Newspaper ''Culture'': "I am happy to have
heard a Bulgarian boys choir, who has found the way to
a rich, typical boys sonority and mature interpretation.
It’s a delightful choir which I have listened with great
admiration". [Prof. V. Krastev] Another expert writes, "Few are the choirs in Europe like this wonderful children's choir. The Plovdiv boys are a real wonder''. [Prof. V. Arnaudov]
The choir in the 1980s had uniform of velvet burgandy-colored jackets and matching short pants suits, worn with lacey jabots and white knee socks. Older boys of about 16 years or older accompany the boys and wear long black pants.
The Plovdiv choir does not have a traveling uniform. On a visit to Belgium the boys arrived in their normal strret clothes. By 1988 few of the boys
wore short pants, only a few of the younger boys. Once in Brussels, however, they wore their short pants velvet suits for both performances and for tours around the city.
Figure 4.--This Plovdiv choir is shown here on a group outing. |
The Bulgarian Plovdiv choir, like many choirs, give
considerable attention to appearance. Their destinctive burgandy costumes set them apart from many other European boy choirs, at least in the 1980s. The choir gives considerable attention to the details of
their uniform. Notice that all the boys wear short pants of about the same length. This hardly could be an accident. Obviously the director or one of his assiastants was assigned to carefully monitor the costume and hpw it was worn.
Another important Bulgarian choir is the Varna boys and youths choir. This is a choir with a great tradition and that has earned many prestigious international awards. Varna boys choir have been taking part (and some times won first place prizes) in very important
festivals and competitions all over the world. In recent years it has proven more difficult to maintain and finance a choir. Even with the difficulties, however, the Varna Boys Choir has maintained its high level. A chorist from the school in the oklder youth section tells HBC in 2002 that "... we are now singing together with the boys, preparing "Requiem#150"by W.A.Mozart, "Gloria" by Vivaldi and "Carmina borana" for our participation in an international choir festival in Poland in May."
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