Snejana Iovtcheva
Program Coordinator
"Sv. Sv. Kiril i Methodii Heritage School”
Boston and Cape Cod
The Bulgarian Center in New England gathered the Bulgarian community in the historic town hall in the city of Melrose on the national Independence Day of the Republic of Bulgaria. The theme of this year's concert was "Flowers of Bulgaria" as a metaphorical reference to the children, who are our future and greatest gift.
And the children of our community are the students in our Saturday school "Sts. Kiril and Metodii” who participated in numerous performances, as well as in the organization and presentation of the concert.
Following the tradition, the concert began with the anthem of the Republic of Bulgaria, inspiringly performed by Zdravka Nikolova and Albena Dimitrova. Standing tall and with our hands on our hearts, we all felt the elation of our national belonging as we prepared for the festive program.
First on stage were the youngest participants, who are the first grade students. They performed the song "Praznik" (Celebration) to the music of Stefan Diomov. For many of them, this was their first performance in front of a large audience and we are grateful that they were given the opportunity to perform and present themselves with a beautiful Bulgarian song.
This was followed by an inspiring recital by Samuel Flashenburg, an 8th at the Bulgarian school in Boston, who presented Dimitar Pantaleev's poem "Mojata Strana" (My Country) and recited with spirit and eloquence the symbols and beauty of Bulgaria.
The 4th grade students prepared one of the favorite Bulgarian songs for young and old. They performed "Dŭga" (Rainbow) by Viktor Chuchkov and Dragomir Shopov and reminded us that during the hours at the Saturday school, friendship and engaging conversations are the most important ingredients for success.
The 6th grader Riya Koemdzhiev joined with a solo performance of the unforgettable song "Detelini" (Clovers), with lyrics by Asen Oshanov and music by Asen Gargov. Riya, as well as the other participants, learned the songs on Saturdays under the skillful musical direction of Mrs. Zdravka Nikolova.
Katya Hatcher, a third-grade student, presented the poem “Zemya kato edna choveshka dlan” (Country as big as a human palm). With heart-stirring emotions and impressive eloquence, she expressed her love for the beauties of Bulgaria.
The song “Planetata na decata" (The Children's Planet) was performed by our former students Tanya Gancheva and the sisters Deana and Ivanina Nedeltchev, who captivated the audience with the beauty of their trained voices.
The two recent graduates, Daniel Flashenburg and Kalina Mihova, performed the poem "Bulgaria" and set an example of social commitment in the community.
In the second part, the concert moved on to the dance performances. Current and former students of different age groups participated in the vibrant performances of the "⅞" and "Ludo Mlado" ensembles. The "Ludo Mlado" dance ensemble, led by Pepi Petrov and Marieta Mircheva, participates in numerous festivals and concerts, and is an inseparable part of the Boston Bulgarians. The "7/8" dance club, led by Marieta Mircheva, organizes folk dance classes for everyone 4 years and up every Friday in the building of the Bulgarian School and is quickly becoming a rallying point for all young and old, whose hearts beat to the rhythm of ⅞.
Youth and adolescents had the opportunity to act as presenters and assistants during the concerts. Andrea Dimitrova and Dian Solovey, Peter Iantchev and Ivanina Nedeltchev, Karina and Vincent Anastasia, Mila and Martin Andreev skillfully introduced the program of the concert and welcomed the participants on stage.
The concert concluded with the song “Edna bŭlgarska roza” (One Bulgarian Rose), performed by all participants on the stage. In his final speech, Mr. David Flashenburg, in his role as the president of the Bulgarian center, thanked the organizers, the helpers and the participants for the wonderful evening and reminded us of the significance and importance of cultural communities in a society.
Here is the place to acknowledge the vocal director and teacher most heartily. Mrs. Zdravka Nikolova who unreservedly prepared all the students from our Saturday school for the concert. Zdravka, as everyone fondly calls her, has been an integral part of our school since 2011 in her role as a teacher, administrator, and music teacher.
Organized by Vancha Kartalova, Gergana Ivanova, Lily Flashenburg, Viktoriya Anastasia and Veneta Andreev, the children took up this year's concert with ardent desire and got the opportunity not only to perform on stage, but also to gain experience in the organization and responsibility for the event. In this way, we, the parents, introduce the cultural world of Bulgaria to them and at the same time invite them to recognize the community as their future cause.
This concert marks a long tradition that gathers Bulgarians and friends of Bulgaria and promotes the Bulgarian language, culture and spirit. It is made possible thanks to the financial support of local businesses who generously support our cultural events and allow us to create opportunities for performances and enrichment for our children.
Our sincere thanks go to:
New Home Real Estate
Balkan Enterprise
Godly Smoothies
Law office Vassil Nenkov
Law Offices of David S. Flashenburg
Ruhl Jahnes Architects
We thank the photographer of the event, Mirena Chavdarova for the wonderful photos. We thank Father Rumen Pelovski and the helpers from the Bulgarian Church of St. Petka in Boston for the organized dinner. We thank the 96-year-old Mrs. Mima Sheitanova from the town of Tvarditsa, who hand-made and donated a whole basket of beautiful martenitsas for the Bulgarians from Boston. For yet another year, she mailed all the martenitsas to us from Bulgaria and delighted the guests at the concert. We also thank all the businesses that donated material and cash prizes for the rich raffle, which was organized by Viktoria Anastasia and was held with a charitable purpose for the needs of the center.
Finally, we want to thank and acknowledge all the committed volunteers, parents and like-minded supporters who make our events unforgettable. Through countless dedicated hours of work and effort, we all weave together the threads of our cultural community and create a beautiful Bulgarian identity beyond the borders of the homeland. We create opportunities for our children, connect businesses and foster partnerships, and most of all, create friendships that bring us closer together and fill our causes with meaning.
Dear friends, we hope to see you very soon again at the future concerts and community events!
