"Bodra Smyana" is the first Bulgarian children's choir to become world famous. This year marks the 75^th anniversary of its founding and this has become the occasion for an Initiative Committee of former choristers to organize a photo exhibition entitled Bodra Smyana choir - the cradle of children's choral singing. It is arranged in a prominent place in the City Garden of Sofia until November 28.

There are few children's and youth choirs in the world that can boast of such a rich history. Under the direction of Boncho Bochev,the Bodra Smyana choir performed for the first time works by world authors such as Zoltán Kodály, Dmitry Kabalevsky, Dmitri Shostakovich, but the focus of his repertoire are works by Bulgarian composers, many of them written especially for young choristers. In its history, the choir has performed over 1,000 works by more than 300 authors.

The singers inthe group are selected among students aged 7 to 18 years.

Over the years, the choir has given training and solid music background to more than 7,000 children.

"Bodra smyana" has won dozens of international and national competitions, with a special focus on its history in 1968, when the choir won the first prize at the BBC's anonymous competition for best choral performance "Let the Peoples Sing".

Compiled by Gergana Mancheva

English version Rositsa Petkova

Photos: bodrasmyana.bg