ПРОГРАМИ
en de ru fr es sr gr al tr ro
Podcast in English
Share
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

‎"Sepulchral lamentation" (Requiem Christ) – laudatory funerary chants on ‎Good Friday ‎

Author:
Photo: BGNES

During the holy liturgy in Orthodox churches of Bulgaria, there is one chant ‎that is performed only once a year. Only on Good Friday, the chant ‎‎“Nadgrobnoe ridanie" (Sepulchral lamentation in English), also known as the ‎‎"Opelo Christovo” (Requiem Christ) can be heard in churches here. It is part of a divine liturgy ‎connected with the Crucifixion and is a synthesized "narrative" of the Passions ‎of Christ (the sufferings of Jesus Christ) and the death of Jesus on the cross. ‎

The chant "Nadgrobnoe ridanie" is composed of three parts and has a specific and original melody ‎that has reached us unchanged from time immemorial. On the basis of this ‎anonymous work, one of the masters of the first generation of Bulgarian ‎composers, Dobri Hristov (1875-1941), created a unique polyphonic ‎composition that is still performed in churches today. In this way, the ‎sacrament of the Crucifixion and death on the cross is transmitted as a message ‎to the laity. This sacred moment is very moving and very sad and makes one rethink life. 

Within about 40 minutes, as is the duration of the chant ‎‎"Nadgrobnoe ridanie", the holy liturgy tells us about the pains and sufferings of ‎Christ to become the sacrificial lamb for all people and then to rise again. For ‎this, the songs do not sound so much like a lamentation but rather a praise of Christ's ‎deeds, of the victory over death and as an anticipation of the coming ‎Resurrection.‎


The version of "Nadgrobnoe ridanie" of the Svetoglas male ‎vocal group is shorter than the one performed in ‎church, but it recreates the main message of Good Friday. The music is by Dobri ‎Hristov - the composer who contributed the most to the development of ‎Eastern Orthodox music in Bulgaria. ‎

After studying composition in the class of Antonin Dvorak in Prague, Dobri ‎Hristov worked almost his entire life for the creation and development of ‎choral singing in Bulgaria, notes the prominent choral conductor Prof. Teodora ‎Pavlovich in a review of the Svetoglas album. ‎According to her, it is an exciting fact that the performance of "Nadgrobnoe ‎Ridanie” of the formation was carried out according to the author's ‎manuscripts preserved in the Patriarchal Church of St. Alexander Nevsky in ‎Sofia.‎






Translated and published by Rositsa Petkova

Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.
Radio Bulgaria Music    Alexander Nevsky Cathedral chant Dobri Hristov Good Friday Jesus Christ lamentation Nadgrobnoe Ridanie Orthodox Christian chant Orthodox Church Resurrection Svetoglas

More from category

Timelessness and freshness with ''Black Granite'' – Grafa’s new song

A fresh summer story, timelessness and elegant ethnic sound — this is “Black Granite”, the new single by Vladimir Ampov – Grafa. The song is released together with a music video shot on 16mm film — a creative choice through which the team returns to..

published on 7/26/25 6:45 AM

Pianist Donka Angatscheva: I want to create something beautiful and meaningful

One of the most recognisable figures on Austria’s classical music scene, Donka Angatscheva—born in Plovdiv—has, for several years, been part of the prestigious circle of Bösendorfer Artists , joining the ranks of legendary pianists such as Arturo..

published on 7/25/25 5:02 PM

''Hubava Si, Moya Goro''

Lyuben Karavelov (1834–1879) was one of the most prominent figures in Bulgaria’s national liberation movement—an exceptionally knowledgeable person, writer of poetry and fiction, publicist and folklorist. After years of studying and working..

published on 7/25/25 8:10 AM

WEATHER
Pick city: Sofía
Partly Cloudy
Min: 17 | Max: 34
Clear
Min: 20 | Max: 32
Clear
Min: 19 | Max: 31
Clear
Min: 14 | Max: 36
Partly Cloudy
Min: 18 | Max: 34
Clear
Min: 17 | Max: 35
Partly Cloudy
Min: 14 | Max: 34
Clear
Min: 15 | Max: 32
Clear
Min: 17 | Max: 34
Partly Cloudy
Min: 16 | Max: 32
Clear
Min: 17 | Max: 34
Partly Cloudy
Min: 17 | Max: 35
Clear
Min: 16 | Max: 34
Partly Cloudy
Min: 14 | Max: 29
Clear
Min: 18 | Max: 35
Clear
Min: 17 | Max: 35
Clear
Min: 17 | Max: 33
Clear
Min: 19 | Max: 33
Clear
Min: 18 | Max: 33
Clear
Min: 18 | Max: 32
Partly Cloudy
Min: 12 | Max: 27
Partly Cloudy
Min: 17 | Max: 31
Clear
Min: 16 | Max: 36
Clear
Min: 15 | Max: 32
Clear
Min: 16 | Max: 35
Clear
Min: 16 | Max: 31
Clear
Min: 17 | Max: 33
BULGARIA IN PICTURES
Which world-famous Bulgarian artist designed QSL cards for Radio Bulgaria?
Yasen Gyuzelev
Theodore Ushev
Christo Javacheff - Christo
Ilia Peikov
Lika Yanko

BULGARIANS ABROAD

Български English Русский Deutsch Српски Français Ελληνικά Español Shqip Türkçe Română
MOST VIEWED

"Moeto Sega" – a picture tattooed on the heart

Sand, water, sunlight and dewdrops in the meadows. All of this can be found in Teddy Velvet’s new original song, "Moeto Sega/My Now", featuring the..

published on 8/2/25 6:35 AM

english@bnr.bg

+359 2 9336 661

Общи условия за използване на сайта | Политика за поверителност | Политика за "бисквитки"