site.btaThe Magic of Three Choirs for Traditional Bulgarian Music Singing Together

Three Vienna-based choirs for traditional Bulgarian music sang together last Saturday and it was magical, Yonka Dragomanska who leads one of the three choirs, Yagoda, told BTA. Most of the Yagoda singers are Austrians. 

The other participants were the Kitka choir led by Nina Wassilewa-Sanechev and Maria Topeva and the Bulgarska Muzikalna Palitra choir led by Konstantsa Petrova. Students of the Bulgarian school in Vienna were on the stage with them.

A guest of honour at the event organized by the Bulgarian Rhythms association and Kitka choir was the Bulgarian composer, conductor, singer, bagpipe player and teacher Nikolay Balabanov.

Dragomanska says the concert was "an adventure beyond words". 

"They opened with the bagpipe of Nikolay Balabanov and the wonderful voice of Georgi Marinov. The hall went silent. I had goosebumps and tears were rolling down my face. I adore the bagpipe and it always gets me thinking of the Rhodope range [in Bulgaria] which I love and have fond memories of. It felt like home," said Dragomanska.

Next came performances by each of the three choirs and finally all choirs sang together.

"It was an indescribable experience and the connection between the singers was breathtaking!" said Dragomanska.

A fourth choir was invited to perform in the concert but too many of them had the flu and couldn't participate.

The Yagoda leader said that their participation in the project was "quite spontaneous, as the best things usually happen". "Two weeks ago I had a call from Nina Wasilwa-Zanechev, the Kitka leader and conductor. She is a strong spirit and a very energetic person. She asked me if I was interested in participating in a workshop with the incredible Nikolay Balabanov whom she had known since her years as a students in the Plovdiv Music Academy. The Yagoda singers were excited to join in - but also nervous. They worried that they are not Bulgarians and not good enough, that it may prove too much of a challenge for them. I calmed them down, I told them they are very good and can manage, that it will enrich them and enhance their skills."

A week before he was due to arrive in Vienna, Balabanov sent to Yonka Dragomanska a song for the choir to prepare a song. "An incredible arrangement and an amazing piece of folk music! I was ecstatic at the opportunity! As I was getting the sheet music to prepare when it came, I recorded the song, singing all voices. Two hours later, the singers had them too and could practice at home. I did one rehearsal afterwards and was amazed at the willingness with which these people had prepared the song."

Yagoda choir was founded by Yonka Dragomanska, who moved to Vienna in 1999 to study architecture but has never stopped singing. She has also trained as an opera singer and sang in classical choirs.