Kitka presents: Tzvetanka Varimezova’s Wintersongs Offering
Since 2002, Tzvetanka Varimezova has been Kitka’s primary mentor in Bulgarian vocal technique and choral music. We always cherish the moments when TzeTze sits down at the piano to introduce new tunes from her vast repertoire.
The lyrics to three out of these four carol fragments incorporate Slavic antithesis, a quizzical form of Balkan storytelling in which the singer poses a question, then offers incorrect answers that lead, in the end, to the truth of the matter.
A GARLAND OF BULGARIAN KOLEDA CAROLS
1. “A little bell was ringing throughout the little valley.
It wasn’t a clear bell--it was a young Maiden.”
2. “What was that white and shimmering—was it the white snow? It wasn’t the white snow--it was a lone young soldier, who hadn’t seen his mother or glanced at his bride.”
3. “We (the carolers) are outside, and the master of the house is inside. As many stars as there are in the sky, may there be just as much health in this house.”
4. “A dense fog fell in beautiful Rumelia; it wasn’t a dense fog--it was Nanko the shepherd striking his crook on the ground.”
Special thanks to Rachel MacFarlane for her translation assistance
Click here to explore the Wintersongs Village
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