Bulgarian Choir "Maghiya"

Our choir was started out of love and continues to spread love through music and visual performances. The children and adults who attend the weekly rehearsals are united by the magical power of the unique ethnic sound of Bulgarian songs and compositions. It is our mission to not only preserve, but also popularise our traditional music among other communities, using modern remixes and accompaniments. We are more than singers, we are performers who use their individual talents, skills and strengths to create a perfect story told through music and movement.

When:

Saturdays (term time), 11-12pm (age: 10+) and 1-2pm (age: 5-9)

Where:

Trinity Church Sutton, 2 Hill Road, SM1 1DZ

Autumn term: 16 Sep - 2 Dec 2023

What we do at rehearsals

Every Saturday we have two separate sessions for children aged 5-9 and 10-18. We do vocal exercises to expand our vocal range and improve our natural singing abilities.

The main part of our rehearsal focuses on learning and practising songs from the 7 ethnographic regions of Bulgaria. They all have a very different sound, dialect and difficulty. Oftentimes, we go for modernised pieces to make our rehearsals and ultimately, the performances more fun for the children and our audience. This is when fabulous ideas are born! The choir teacher lets the singers tap into their own creativity and bring suggestions on choreography, props, vocal arrangement and the overall experience we create for the audience.

Each time we meet, we learn how to be more confident, more aware and more in love with the stage. We work on posture, presence, appearance, movement and everything else that makes a performer great.

Can you join if you don't speak Bulgarian? Yes, of course! Most of the Bulgarian children who start at a young age don't speak the language either. They get help from their parents with lyrics, however, we have developed a system where we transcribe and translate the songs into the latin alphabet and English. This way you know how to read the lyrics and what they mean. There are many Bulgarian folklore choirs across the world with members who don't speak a word of the language. Some examples are in Japan, Uganda and the USA.

Still not convinced? We now have new weekly sessions where we work with children aged 8 and above on popular music, Disney classics and various other genres. Check our Show Choir.

Our current termly fees are £70 per child/member and we offer 50% discount for another family member.