For more than twenty years conductor Michael Deltchev has been living and working in Denmark with different music groups. He holds regular rehearsals with a 50-strong oratorical choir, a folk choir and with Collegium Vocale, a music group with an international reputation. Recently a famous Danish production house released a CD of Collegium Vocale entitled Beyond the Eastern Wind.

"The idea was to release an album with contemporary composers from Eastern Europe”, Michael Deltchev told Radio Bulgaria. “We have included works by Russian, Baltic, Latvian and Lithuanian composers such as Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, Arvo Pärt and Alfred Schnittke. I believe that this program gives a fair idea about the development of contemporary choral music in that part of the globe. Given that the CD is entitled Beyond the Eastern Wind we decided that we could also add a work by a composer from the Philippines, Jerry Dadap. Apart from vocal pieces there are two works for pipe organ too. Our new project is going to feature Bulgarian Orthodox Christian music exclusively.  Its working title is Mother and Son, and we will probably include works about the Holy Virgin and the Holy Infant. Hopefully, the new project will present composers from different generations - Dobry Christoff, Lubomir Pipkov, Ivan Spassov, as well as contemporary composers.”

Collegium Vocale is staffed with 18 well-trained musicians - former choristers in children's or church choirs, professional instrumentalists etc. Michael Deltchev says that it is a great pleasure to work with them. In its repertoire policy the group turns to works that are not often performed in Denmark.

For decades Michael Deltchev has also been working with the Sedjanka Female Choir for Bulgarian folk music.

„This year we made a spontaneous decision to join the International Festival of Choral Music in Balchik on the Black Sea”, the conductor says. “Somewhat surprisingly we won the First Prize. The singers are very happy. On 23 November we are going to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Sedjanka Choir. Since I moved to Denmark, I have supported three or four music groups focused on Bulgarian folklore. For the celebration we have invited some of them, soloists from Bulgaria and Danish instrumentalists who perform Bulgarian folk music. We hope to have a great celebration: after all 20 years is something!”

English Daniela Konstantinova 

The audio file contains the following works:

1.  Lord Have Mercy by Alfred Schnittke, Collegium Vocale

2.  Da Pacem Domine byArvo Pärt, Collegium Vocale

3.  Dilman, Dilbero, a Bulgarian folk son, Sedjanka Female Choir