Kitka

Wintersongs

Diaphonica

Kitka [after the Macedonian word for "bouquet"] is a professional women's vocal ensemble specializing in Eastern-European programmes that's been working for 25 years, starting in 1979 as an amateur-based offshoot of the Westwind International Folk Ensemble. This group has long since turned pro to grow into "the foremost interpreter of Balkan and Slavic Choral repertoire working in the United States". They participated in 2002 as international guests of honor at the 50th Anniversary Jubilee concert of the world-renowned Bulgarian Women's Choir Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares at the Bulgarian National Palace of Culture in Sofia, Bulgaria. Even major motion picture soundtrack credits are part of Kitka's portfolio now, including score contributions for Jacob's Ladder, At Play in the Fields of the Lord, Braveheart and Queen of the Damned.

Studying this formation's accomplishments of concert tours, clinics, recordings, broadcast programming and commissions, one gets a strong sense of musical activism that uses the choral art form to spread a gospel of good cheer and international tolerance. Wintersongs is their latest effort of 20 mostly Balkan songs -- but spreading to Belorussia and Greece -- that are delivered either exclusively vocally or feature sparse accompaniment by way of accordion, percussion, tambura and bouzouq.

Unlike the usual fare released in the Holiday season, Wintersongs doesn't contain a single example of popular Christmas songs, at least none American listeners would be familiar with. Better yet, the peculiar minor-key chordal progressions so typical of Bulgarian song are a fresh "tweaked" breeze that defeats predictability though much here also bears strong relations to Medieval plain song and Byzantine/Melchite lithurgical styles, meaning it lacks the symphonic density eight solo singers would otherwise be capable of.

Recorded on George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, the purity of the voices which sometimes move towards each other in dissonant intervals for that strangely melancholy and otherworldly mien is quite spectacular. The overall impression is one of quiet and introspection despite certain tunes seemingly being concertized transcriptions of folksy dances. For Holiday music that's like nothing else you've heard before -- guaranteed -- Wintersongs delivers exactly what it promises and should appeal especially to devotees of the unadorned female voice.

-- Srajan Ebaen