Children Sing to Children is the motto of the new project involving the youngest singers at the Bulgarian National Radio, the members of the Radio Children Choir. More details from their leader Ilina Todorova:

"The idea has come from the BNR music production house and there is a grand occasion too - the 80th anniversary of the Radio. Our partner in the project is Sofia Municipality. The initiative comprises five concerts given at various centers that take care of the integration of children with various chronic conditions - hospitals and kindergartens. During the events the youngsters paint and model beautiful things. Our singers join this activity helping sick children to feel better. The final charity concert is due on 15 May, at Studio One of the BNR. Paintings created by children will be arranged in an exhibition at the Studio's lobby and charities will be raised through their sale. Receipts will go to a hospital selected by Sofia Municipality. Especially for the project we have recorded a CD, Children Sing to Children, because we know that music has healing powers; it is magic able to make anybody smile. The CD features songs we have performed over the years. Among them is the new version of the Bulgarian evergreen The White Bunny in an arrangement of Kristian Boyadjiev honouring the song's late composer Petar Stupel. The album will be given to children during concerts. We are going to send copies to Sofia kindergartens too. The CD features full song versions and instrumental versions and has a booklet with the lyrics enclosed decorated with children's paintings. I think that this album is a good way to introduce youngsters to works for children written by leading Bulgarian composers. And they can sing these songs again and again.”

The album Children Sing to Children features Easter and Christmas melodies from the early 20 c., as well as more recent compositions by Vladimir Djambazov, Dora Draganova and Angel Kotev.

The first event from the Children Sing to Children initiative was held on 3 November. Ilina Todorova says more:

"The concert was held at the Children's Clinic of Alexandrovska Hospital in Sofia. In a report from the event I heard a mother of a patient saying that patients felt isolated, would not smile and were traumatized by hospital treatment procedures. So, it was really so good when their coevals came to them to be together singing and painting. I think that this matters most. Working with the Radio Children we want to teach them that they have to respond to people in need. We are aware we cannot work wonders but we can bring smiles wherever we go. I feel so happy that this event turned into a festive occasion for the kids.”

The next concert of the Radio Children Choir is on 10 December. The young singers will perform to the children in the Elhitsa Kindergarten in Sofia's Mladost Housing District. Elhitsa is a center for integration of children with various handicaps - milder forms of autism and Down's Syndrome. „We are working on a Christmas program with gifts and games”, Ilina Todorova says. Before that however the Radio Children will bring the Christmas spirit to the BNR Studio One. The concert Looking Forward to Christmas will be held jointly with the BNR Big Band with conductor Antony Donchev.

English: Daniela Konstantinova

The audio file contains the following pieces:

1. A Very Kind Fly, music by Vladimir Djambazov, lyrics by Atanas Zvezdinov

2. The Vendor of Hope, music by Petar Stupel, lyrics by Valeri Petrov

3. A Snowman