London Bulgarian Choir

The London Bulgarian Choir is a London-based amateur choir, specialising in Bulgarian folk music. Dessislava Stefanova has led the choir since its formation in 2000. Primarily a performing choir, the LBC perform a dozen or more concerts a year.

They are Open Category winners of BBC Radio 3's Choir of the Year, 2006 [ [http://www.kallaway.co.uk/coy-site/results.htm BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year ] ] . Their 2005 tour of Bulgaria [ [http://www.londonbulgarianchoir.co.uk/calendar.php Welcome to the London Bulgarian Choir - Calendar ] ] was covered in a full-page article in "Songlines" [Songlines #33, Nov/Dec 2005] and was filmed for Bulgarian television. The choir sang on the soundtrack for the "The Virgin Queen", which won an Ivor Novello award [ [http://www.theivors.britishacademy.com/awards.html The Ivor Novello Awards - Nominees ] ] ; and have taken part in London-based events such as the Exhibition Road Music Day [ [http://www.exhibitionroadmusicday.org/venue.asp?venueID=9 Exhibition Road Music Day: London's home of Fete de la Musique ] ] , the Streatham Festival [ [http://www.streathamfestival.com/progDay4.html#1 Streatham Festival 2007 ] ] , and the London Jazz Festival [ [http://www.londonjazzfestival.org.uk/index2nd.cfm?refid=14&tmpt=events_arc&tmptID= Serious ] ] . Composer and animateur Orlando Gough has used the choir in central roles for the performances "Singing River" [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPfYSegkyWk YouTube - Bulgarian Choir ] ] at the re-opening of the Royal Festival Hall and "Shouting Gallery" [ [http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/76704/ The Shouting Gallery: 6 Frisky Choirs at National Portrait Gallery (Friday, May 12, 2006) - Upcoming ] ] in the National Portrait Gallery. Outside London, the choir have taken part in the Rye Arts Festival [ [http://www.ryefestival.co.uk/ Welcome to Rye Arts Festival ] ] , the Swaledale Festival [ [http://www.swaledale-festival.org.uk/ Swaledale Festival - music, poetry, visual arts, walks, exhibitions, workshops ] ] , and the Nadder Music Café [ [http://naddertisbury.co.uk/index.php?module=mediashare&func=view&aid=3 Nadder Hall, Weaveland Rd, Tisbury, SP36HF ] ] .

Part of the choir sang with British Sea Power on "Later... with Jools Holland" [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/later/shows/series31/episode02/ BBC - Later with Jools Holland - Mayra Andrade - Tunuka ] ] in January 2008. Dessislava Stefanova was the featured guest on Radio 3's "The Choir" [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/thechoir/pip/4sg32/ BBC - Radio 3 - The Choir ] ] with Aled Jones in February 2007, and presented "Bulgaria's Voice" [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/feature/pip/pbuut/ BBC - Radio 3 - Feature - Bulgaria's Voice ] ] on Radio 3 in 2005; both programs included recordings of the choir in performance. Sections of the choir have contributed to soundtracks for "Troy" [ [http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_recording_score_troy/ Recording the Score for Troy ] ] and "The Virgin Queen" [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0481459/soundtrack "The Virgin Queen" (2005) (mini) - Soundtracks ] ] .

Discography

"Alyana Galyana", 2008

External links

* Official website: http://www.londonbulgarianchoir.co.uk/

References