site.btaHaskovo Region Nominates Folk Choir from Village of Krepost for Living Human Treasures

The folk choir at the Selska Probuda 1927 community centre in the village of Krepost in Dimitrovgrad Municipality will be the nomination of Haskovo Region for the national Living Human Treasures programme in 2024.

The choir, which numbers 25 members today, was founded in 1953 by female teachers and students from the local school and has been protecting, preserving and spreading the beauty and melody of Bulgarian folk songs for 71 years, said Choir Director Boryana Peneva. "I took the position (of director) because we have no right to stop. We and our children must continue the mission," she pointed out. Peneva herself was a choir member as a student, when there was a children's folklore group in addition to the group for adults.

The first national recognition of the folk choir was only in 1973, when the choir won first prize at the Fourth Republican Festival of Artistic Self-Activity in Burgas. To date, the number of awards, prizes and honours is difficult to count. "The characteristic of our choir is the original performances of authentic folk songs. They are mainly from our village of Krepost, and there are also from several surrounding villages," Peneva noted, adding that the repertoire reaches 60 songs. She said that there is a songbook published, which includes lyrics and melodies, some of which are from the beginning of the last century and have been preserved by female members of the group since its early years. The current programme of the choir consists of 14 songs, which have already been recorded on a disc in Radio Stara Zagora.

"In order to carry the Representative Label, every two or three years we participate in a competition that certifies our level according to established criteria," Peneva pointed out. She said that continuity is of utmost importance to her and that there is interest from the younger generation, which makes her happy.

"I have been in the choir since 1967," says 81-year-old Valka Mihailova, the oldest and longest-standing member in the choir. She noted that the satisfaction of singing with her colleagues is enormous. "At concerts it's very exciting, the rest of us are like family, like sisters," she added, vowing to come and sing as long as her legs hold her and her mind is clear so as to not mess up the songs.

Community centre secretary Mihail Mihailov noted that for him the nomination shows that attention is paid to culture in Bulgaria and that the choir is properly appreciated. He specified that even as a journalist he covered the choir's successes.