The songbook features 19 songs from Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia and Bulgaria. Songs are transcribed in two, three and four voice harmony with complete translations and a pronounciation guide. The companion CD includes all 19 songs in duet, quartet, large and small ensemble combinations. Some songs are a cappella, others accompanied by accordians, guitar, bass, tamburicas and dumbek.

Mary Cay Brass lived in the former Yugoslavia on a Fulbright scholarship from 1976-1978. She currently directs several community choruses specializing in music from Balkans as well as other community-based traditional singing styles.

“We have hoped through our singing of these beautiful songs to ‘humanize’ the peoples of the former Yugoslavia; to give a picture of their lives through dance songs, love songs, wedding and ritual songs, songs of joy and sadness. In creating this book with its companion CD, we hope to make these songs accessible to a wider variety of people. And, through our sharing of these songs, help to build some new bridges between peoples.”

-Mary Cay Brass

Audio Clips

Plovi Barko

Aj, Sviraljka

Da Je Visnja

Malo Ja, Malo Ti

Please see options below if you don’t want the book.

• Balkan Bridges CD
• Balkan Bridges Digital Download

 

Includes 29 traditional Balkan village songs from Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Macedonia and Bulgaria. With full musical transcriptions, translations and pronunciation guide. Mostly transcribed from village sources; but also included are a few Kutev and Lado arrangements. Songs for women’s voices as well as for mixed voices. Twenty-three of these songs are recorded on the companion Village Harmony album.

Audio Clips

Oj Savice

Nikolo Le

Divojka Je Mileduv Brala

A collection of 20 traditional dances that have been time-tested in classrooms and at community dances.

Includes simple longways dances, circle dances, square dances and contra dances. Ideas for teaching dance successfully in schools, a glossary of dance terms and transcriptions of the dance tunes are included.

Cassette/CD recording features some of New England’s finest dance musicians playing all the music needed to teach the dances. Reels, jigs, polka and waltz are played dance length. The two square dances include singing calls on the recording.

More Great Dances for Children, Schools & Communities

A collection of 24 more dances that have been time-tested in classrooms and at community dances.

Includes longways dances, circle dances, square dances and contra dances. New chapters on teaching dance in the classroom, building a sense of community, choosing partners, tips on calling and creating new dances with children. Glossary, tune transcriptions, and combined index for Chimes and Mockingbird also included.

Cassette/CD recording features some of New England’s finest dance musicians playing all the music needed to teach the dances. Reels, jigs, polka and waltz are played dance length. Four square dances include singing calls on the recording.

Our third collection, designed to compliment Chimes of Dunkirk and Listen to the Mockingbird. A collection of 22 more dances that we have used successfully in classrooms and at community dances. Dance instructions are carefully worded with accompaning photos, diagrams and glossary. Includes longways, circles, contras, squares and scatter mixers. Companion CD features dance length recordings of appropriate music for the dances. Music captures the excitement of dancing to live music in a community dance setting. The two square dances include singing calls on the recording.

This new collection of traditional singing games is similar in format to Jump Jim Joe(recently re-released as Rise Sally Rise). Andy Davis and the Amidons have put gathered some of their favorite singing games and music/movement activities collected over the last ten years since the Amidons published Jump Jim Joe. The book has the clear instructions that characterize all of the New England Dancing Masters materials.