alumnae



About the Music
Most of our music hails from the countries of Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Russia, and the Ukraine. The repertoire of lyrical songs borrowed from authentic Slavic choruses tell of love, marriage, work, war, country life, and sorrow. In our performances, we strive to maintain the tradition of dissonant harmonies, unusual rhythms, and distinctive vocal qualities which make Slavic music unique and exciting for listeners of all ages and backgrounds.

Our Repertoire
The Slavic Chorus prides ourselves on the great diversity of our repertoire and the complexity of our arrangements. Since our inception in 1969, the chorus has maintained a rich collection of Eastern European and Balkan music. However, a number of our own group members have transcribed new arrangements of traditional songs for the group's performances. Because our performances include village music from a number of different countries, our very different styles of music are quite evident. These styles range from fast-paced Russian nasal styles (such as Oy Senyushka!), soft and mysterious Croatian lullabyes (such as Rumena Si), Bulgarian favorites (such as Polegnala and Teften Kate), and many more!


 Music Samples
From Kolo Sertsya (2003) :
Kaval Sviri ~listen~
Translation: A piper is playing in the village. Mother, if that piper is from our village, I will love him from today till tomorrow around noon. If he is from a neighboring village, though, I'll love him my whole life. [Bulgaria]

The Dove Song ~listen~
Translation: Janna scolded the Turk and shook her head. The Turk spoke to Janna, "Come Janna, let us go, come with me." But Janna said to the Turk, "I will not marry you." [Adapted from a collaboration between Bulgarian and Tuvan singers.