Current members include: Kathie Allen, Director; Heather Hatch, Karie Bird, Ernie Randa, Penny Van Der Molen, Roy Van der Molen, and Lisa Arrington.
Influences
Bulgarian Women's Choir, Eastern European Folklife Center, which sponsors Balkan Camps, Tatiana Sarbinska, Kremena Stancheva, Donka Koleva
Sounds Like
The sound is focused, with little vibrato, and is ornamented with balkan trills, mordants, and other unique sounds. It is produced as a natural extension of the speaking voice. The harmonies are often close, using major and minor seconds to produce an ethereal, haunting sound.
The Darena Balkan Choir focuses on learning and performing the folk music of Eastern Europe, from Bulgaria and Macedonia through Croatia and beyond. We make every effort to reproduce the focused, natural singing style of the Balkans. All songs are memorized and sung in their original languages. We are always looking for new members. If interested, contact Kathie at drkathie@kallenmd.com. No spam, please.
Hey my Utah sistahs....Ilove the sound! Being married to Pole, I guess I have a soft spot for this Eastern European sound. Oh yeah. I have revamped my site,with more sections (piano and ensemble compositions) plus downloads etc. Keep me posted on your performances.
