Every year on May 6 Bulgaria marks the Day of Valor that was launched in 1880. It is the official day of the Bulgarian army that celebrates the occasion with military parades and words of gratitude to all known and unknown soldiers who have defended the motherland. Professional brass bands, a great pride of this country, play music the whole day. The solemn parade usually opens with the march Cheerful Also in Combat created during the Balkan wars (1912 -1913)as a ceremonial march. It was composed by bandmaster Kamen Loukov.

In May 2001, the Bulgarian army chose Great is Our Soldier as its anthem, one of the most popular Bulgarian marches. It waswritten in 1916 by Mihail Shekerdzhiev on lyrics by Konstantin Gheorgiev. Back at that time they were serving together at the 23rd Shipka Regiment of the Bulgarian Army.

One of the marches central to the repertoire of the first military bands after the Liberation (1878 ) was We Shall Prevail. Author of the lyrics was Stiliyan Maximov, a young military officer. The march was composed by Alexander Morfov, a military officer, brother of prominent opera singer Hristina Morfova. A composer, poet and journalist, Morfrov was among the pioneers of choral music in Bulgaria. He was dubbed “the father of the Bulgarian military choral song.”

“A bequest left by our ancestors, a great and sacred message written with blood and a sword… Children of the motherland, keep the lands and protected them from near and far” goes the march One Bequest. The lyrics are by Ivan Yonchev and the music by bandmaster Georgi Shagounov. The composer devoted the march to his son who was being trained as a cadet. Written in 1915 in Samokov the march quickly rose to popularity and was introduced to the repertoires of various choirs and orchestras.

The march Festive Sofia was the work of Hristo Tonev, a military conductor and composer and longtime professor at the National Academy of Music in conducting and orchestration for a brass band.

We finally present Jubilee March by Nikola Bratanov. He was also conductor of brass bands and professor at the National Academy of Music. The Jubilee March was dedicated to the centenary of Bulgarian brass bands.

English Daniela Konstantinova

The audio file contains the following military marches:

1. Cheerful Also in Combat, music by Kamen Loukov

2. Great is Our Soldier by Mihail Shekerdzhiev on lyrics by Konstantin Gheorgiev

3. We Shall Prevail, lyrics by Stiliyan Maximov, music by Alexander Morfov

4. One Bequest, lyrics are by Ivan Yonchev, music by Georgi Shagounov

5. Festive Sofia by Hristo Tonev

6. Jubilee March by Nikola Bratanov