However times may change, one thing remains the same – we do everything we can to create holiday cheer for our children, to find out what their dreams are, to brighten their day with presents, especially around Christmas time. One pastime children love at this time of year are the colourful concerts by children their own age. Whether it is at the kindergarten, at school or in a real concert hall, these are concerts children delight in. Once again, December abounds in invitations to performances by acclaimed children’s choirs and vocal groups.

One of them was the concert by the Bulgarian National Radio’s Radiokids with conductor Ilina Todorova. The group’s repertoire features practically all known world Christmas hits as well as Bulgarian songs loved by one and all.

In the days preceding the holiday season, the Zvunika children’s choir from Pleven and its conductor Vanya Deliyska undertook to tour different towns around the country. Their concert tour featured a charity concert - Christmas miracle - organized in support of children with serious health problems.

The outgoing year has been very successful for the kids from Smehorancheta. In June they presented their new album The Smehorancheta seasons, featuring songs, suitable for any time of the year. Alongside their magnificent Christmas songs, this year they presented Journey on a broom, a Christmas show they put on at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia.

Christmas morning with the Bon-Bonnie aroma – this is the title the children from Bon-Bon gave to their programme. In April the vocal group with conductor Rozi Karaslavova, marked their 20th birthday with a dazzling concert in Hall No.1 of the National Palace of Culture, featuring Poli Genova, LaTiDa and other former Bon-Bon members, now all grown up.

The Bulgarian National Radio’s Children’s Radio Choir returned from a tour of Belgium just a few days ago. Their first concert was in Brussels – it took place in the concert hall of the European Parliament. True ambassadors of Bulgarian culture, the young singers have had concerts in dozens of countries on practically all continents of the world with the choir’s founder, Academician Hristo Nedyalkov. Venezia Karamanova took over a few years ago, and the choir has continued on its way up to the top. The Children’s Radio Choir will take part in the Christmas matinee in Bulgaria Hall, alongside the BNR’s Symphony Orchestra. Their traditional festive concert, part of the New Year Music Festival, is on 28 December.

The Sofia boys, the first boys’ choir in the country, merit special mention. Prof. Adriana Blagoeva, the choir’s conductor and artistic director tells us that the festive concert on Christmas day will feature both of the choir’s sections – boys and youth. The concert programme includes works by composers Petko Staynov, Stoyan Babekov, Hristo Nedyalkov, Jules Levy, Mozart, Beethoven and others.

English version: Milena Daynova

The audio file features the following songs:

- Father Christmas, performed by the Bodra Smyana choir;

- I know who he is, performed by the Radiokids;

- Winter song, performed by Zvunika;

- Christmas prayer, performed by Smehorancheta;

- Christmas dream, performed by Bon-Bon;

- Panis Angelicus, performed by the BNR Children’s Radio Choir;

- Cherubic song, performed by the Sofia Boys’ Choir;

- Christmas Fantasia, performed by the Radiokids.