The magic of Christmas is very much in the air! Young and old have been counting the days until the great holiday of Christ's Nativity. The spirit of Christmas dominates the Bulgarian National Radio too, and the Big Band and the Radio Children Choir have been in a holiday mood since November. They gave a joint concert at Studio One of the BNR with the motto, We Want Christmas.

An unusual music group has reclaimed its position in the country's music life. On 2 December Studio One of the BNR hosted the Christmas concert of the Academic Trombone Ensemble.

Asked whether the Academic Trombone Ensemble often gives concerts for various festive occasions, its leader Associate Prof. Dr Atanas Karafezliev said:

„It used to be a tradition 15 years ago, and we are trying to revive it now, I with my colleagues trombonists. The group that will mark its 25th anniversary next year was very active in the 1990s. Now we have been trying to reclaim its position of a factor in national cultural life. Today the group is staffed with much younger musicians including students, but also top professionals from leading orchestras. Such trombone groups are not new to the world. In Bulgaria the trombone lacks in solid traditions but I hope that our concerts in the future will add to its popularity.”

Atanas Karafezliev has included in the concert's program the modern music logo of Christmas Holidays, Jingle Bells by James Lord Pierpont.

English Daniela Konstantinova

Audio Christmas concerts at BNRМ

Radio Children Choir with BNR Big Band:

1/ Adeste fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful) by an unknown author

2/ Winter Song by Hristo Nedyalkov

Academic Trombone Ensemble

3/ Silent Night by Franz Gruber

4/ Christmas Song

5/ Jingle Bells by James Lord Pierpont