Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

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

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.

More from category

Vasko Vassilev with international quintet to perform in the Eiffel Tower to mark 24 May

World renowned Bulgarian violinist Vasko Vassilev and soloists from the Royal Opera House will have a classical acoustic concert on 26 May in the Gustave Eiffel Room in the Eiffel Tower, Desislava Bineva, Director of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute..

published on 5/17/24 11:51 AM

Two Hearts by Kris Gran has a video now

Following the release of his debut album 'Two Hearts' , Kris Gran presents the music video for the title track. The talented young artist composed both the music and lyrics for this original collection. Explaining his choice of title track, Kris Gran..

published on 5/17/24 8:35 AM

"Silvia" – famous people perform an emblematic song from the Argirov Brothers repertoire

"Silvia" is a new version of a golden hit originally performed by one of the most famous Bulgarian duets since the 1980s - the Argirov Brothers. The song is a cover of “Predchuvstvie za stih” (Premonition for a Verse) from an album by..

published on 5/14/24 5:35 PM