site.btaDaniel Spasov from Svetoglas Quartet: We Will Take Part in Easter Liturgy and Perform Chants in Dublin

The Bulgarian quartet Svetoglas - The Mystery of Bulgarian Polyphony, will take part in the festive Easter service in Dublin, led by Metropolitan Anthony of Western and Central Europe. The church event will be held on April 12 at All Hallows Chapel, located on the campus of Dublin City University.

The Svetoglas Quartet will participate in the liturgy at the invitation of Metropolitan Anthony. Following the Easter service, the ensemble will perform several chants both in the church and at the Bulgarian Embassy in Dublin, the quartet's co-founder Daniel Spasov told BTA.

The quartet will also meet members of the Bulgarian community, with events organized by the Bulgarian Embassy in the Irish capital.

"For us, this participation is to some extent a challenge, because we usually perform these chants in concert programmes," Spasov said. He explained that the chants are part of the liturgy but have been extracted as masterpieces of Orthodox music, often of anonymous authorship. Most of the pieces performed by the ensemble belong to the monodic stage in the development of the Church Slavonic musical tradition.

"Others are already harmonized for choir, polyphonic. We have mostly performed them in concert settings," he added.

Spasov also spoke about the quartet's participation in the festive event in Dublin: "This is the first time we will join the liturgy and take on the role of the choir. After that, we will present the album we released together with the Bulgarian National Radio, 'Ancient Hymns of Orthodoxy - Music from the Monasteries'."

This is the second album by Svetoglas dedicated to Church Slavonic music. About ten years ago, the quartet released a similar project titled "Molenie Gospodne", recorded in the natural acoustic environment of the Sts Cyril and Methodius Klisura Monastery by a leading Greek sound engineer and professor at the Athens Conservatory, BTA said.

The newer project differs in that it includes previously unpublished Church Slavonic works. "Some of them we discovered ourselves in collections from the Kremikovtsi Monastery," Spasov said. "Some retain a more archaic, monodic style, while others are based on old neumatic notation and have been newly harmonized by our conductor Milen Ivanov."

He said the aim is to offer a contemporary interpretation without compromising the original and canonical sound of the chants.

"The goal is to bring them closer to the sensibility of today's listener through sound production. This music is often associated strictly with church services, but it is also part of our broader musical culture and can sound in different ways," Spasov said, noting that the ensemble has presented such programmes at international spiritual and sacred music festivals.

The project "Ancient Hymns of Orthodoxy - Music from the Monasteries" has been presented at venues including the Crypt of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Bachkovo Monastery, churches in Vidin and Svishtov, and the Belovo Basilica. "Through these performances, audiences become more familiar with the depth of this music," Spasov said.

He underlined that church music forms a layer of Bulgarian musical tradition and has influenced the development of the national musical identity. Composers such as Dobri Hristov, Petar Dinev and Apostol Nikolaev-Strumski have created masterpieces by reinterpreting this tradition while preserving its essence. "These are Bulgarian Orthodox musical masterpieces that should reach a wider audience. This is elevating, spiritual music that is, unfortunately, not well known," Spasov said.

He added that Svetoglas presents its own interpretation and spiritual connection to the tradition, which is strongly felt by audiences. "Responses have always been extremely positive. Many people have told us that through our performances they have enriched their understanding of this music and its contemporary sound."

New projects

The quartet is currently working on a new folklore-based project featuring a different repertoire. "These are harmonized folk songs, but we are striving to present them with a contemporary sound," Spasov explained. "We aim to preserve the original roots while bringing the music closer to modern audiences, whose tastes and expectations have changed significantly."

He noted that today's musical environment is highly dynamic, requiring a careful balance between commercial appeal, aesthetic value and artistic integrity, without compromising quality.

A delegation from Bulgaria will attend the Easter service on April 12, including Kiril Valchev, Milen Mitev and Milena Milotinova, the directors general of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), Bulgarian National Radio and Bulgarian National Television, respectively.