From the history of the first fanfare music in town.

Flowers, excitement and cheerfully walking girls and boys. Up to this day this is the sight on the streets of the city on the “Slavonic Literature and Culture Day”. This is also the patronal festival of the Cyril and Methodius School in Burgas. The school has gained the right to lead the holiday manifestation over the years, and recently even dropped out of it to vindicate their longtime position in the parade.

Years ago, the students of, what was then, the Cyril and Methodius Junior School were a real attraction for the residents of Burgas during their holiday. And the reason for this was the first school fanfare music in Burgas, pride of the prestigious school. Traces of this emblem for the students’ life in the city led us to the memories of one of the participants in the orchestra – Sabetai Varsanov. He was part of the formation in the beginning of the 60s. However, the history of the first fanfare music in town takes even further back.

“As far as I know the music was gifted by the German soldiers quartered in Burgas during the Second World War. When they were leaving the town they left the music to Cyril and Methodius School. I remember the instruments were quite outworn. The bronze was visible where the soldiers held them but besides these spots they were covered in nickel.” – says Sabetai Varsanov. “Many of the pipes were obsolete and used for spare parts. Otherwise you couldn’t find such anywhere else”.

The first fanfare music in the schools of Burgas was consisted of about twenty musicians. “There was a lyra with horizontal metal plates, each of which responding to different tonality. And a very beautiful girl named Stella Trupkova was holding it. Beside her were two large papules in the colors of the Bulgarian flag” continued his story the Burgas’ citizen. “We were ordered into 4 rows of 5-6 people. There was a soprano and an alto, who played the melody on several sound levels. And I was behind them, playing the acont. We, the eight brass players, were playing simultaneously in several ranges and made the tone consistent. There were two boys with big whistles behind us and one big and two little drums and cymbals at the end of the formation. Although the music was not professional it was magnificent.”

The notes in front of every student were fixed with clams, which looked like a lyre.

The most exciting moment for the little musicians was the 24th of May. “On this day everyone was wearing white shorts and shoes and socks in the same color. Usually the library and other cultural institutions took part in the manifestation. We were after them, heading the parade, separated from the other schools. With the march of “March ahead, o revived people!” we walked down “The First of May Street” (now “Aleksandrovska Street”). Then we necessarily played our instruments in front of the officials’ tribune.”

To this day the good memories, from the past, of the fanfare music of Cyril and Methodius School are not forgotten by Sabetai Varsanov. He admits with a smile that he still visits the manifestations on 24th of May as viewer, but the familiar sound of the brass still excites him. Of course these are not the old pipes, covered with the marks of thousands hands. However, the tradition is preserved. Times goes by and it is only up to us to make it history.

Text: Gergana Kostova

Picture: State Archives

Magazine “Vij! Burgas”, vol. 15