Gergiovden is a folklore group of string instruments known as pandore – the only such group in Sofia. Hristina Nacheva-Petrova is its band leader:

“The group was set up in 2007 at the St. George the Victor chitalishte - culture community club in Sofia. We have original instruments with an authentic sound – pandores and goblet drums, as well as a vocal group and soloists. I myself play the pandore and am band leader. It was a dream of mine to set up an ensemble like this when I was still a student at the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts in Plovdiv. I started out from the Gotse Delchev ensemble, fist as an instrumentalist, then as concert master and band leader and little by little I came to the decision to set up an ensemble myself. The very first time I entered the community culture club where we were rehearsing my eyes fell on a big icon of St. George the Victor. I was very impressed and I decided to name the ensemble Gergiovden (St. George’s day). Together we selected the repertoire – songs from different folklore regions: the Shoppe (the region around Sofia), the Pirin, the Thracian, the Rhodope folklore region. It is always best to have each performer play melodies from the folklore region he or she comes from, so most of them are from the Pirin folklore region. The Gergiovden singers and instrumentalists all have other professions, but come to rehearsal in the evenings to unwind. We have such a good time together, we celebrate birthdays but also work very hard. Even though each member has a great many other responsibilities, they are all very skilled musicians – they have been members of other ensembles and groups and have taken part in many concert tours and made many recordings.”

“We have performed on stage in many countries – Romania, Turkey, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro – they have festivals there for pandore orchestras which are just right for the music we make,” Hristina Nacheva-Petrova says further. “The last time we played abroad last year was in Ohrid, Macedonia. We have guest-performed at different national events. At the traditional folklore festival in Ribaritsa we won first prize for vocal performance; at the Shoppe festival in Kazichene, 2014 we were awarded second prize. 2014 was a very good year for us. We marked the culture community’s club’s 15^th anniversary with a concert at which I was bestowed the Union of Culture Community Club Workers’ medal for artistic achievement. We also took part in the 5^th Guardian of Tradition awards in Sofia. Emotions ran really high at our Christmas concert in Sredets hall in Sofia. The audience got up from their seats to dance the horo and sing along with us. I was overjoyed to see how much they enjoyed our music.”

Alexandra Alexandrova, in her last year at the St. Kliment Ohridski University in Sofia is the latest newcomer to Gergiovden. At the university, she studies with folk singer Svetla Karadjova:

“I come from the Dobroudja region, I grew up in the town of Dobrich,” says Alexandra. “I am now learning the repertoire, the Pirin and Shoppe songs are new to me. Everyone is a great help to me, and I myself teach them Dobroudja melodies. I started singing with the Vesselina vocal studio, then went on to the Dobrotitsa children’s dance ensemble; being a member of Gergiovden now makes me very happy. My passion for Bulgarian folklore was inspired by my grandfather who was a musician – he played the accordion and was a choreographer. I have been going to rehearsals and concerts ever since I was four.”

Georgiovden’s first concert together with Alexandra Alexandrova is on March 9 at the Mission gallery housed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Sofia. The group is getting ready to take part in the famed national festival Koprivshtitsa 2015 as well as in the folklore festival in Bansko.

English version: Milena Daynova

Photos: private gallery