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Writer's pictureGundula Stojanova Gruen

Event Alert: Music from Weddings and Funerals

We would love to invite you to a repertoire of happiness and loss, of exuberance and sadness, expressed in Balkan music and Jazz.



This performance is a shared endeavor of the Magic Violin String Trio and the Bluebelle Jazz Trio. There will be music traditionally performed at weddings and funerals; however, the repertoire explores happiness and loss in a broader sense, including the personal meanings of certain songs and pieces to the performing musicians.


Expect an intriguing selection of Balkan funeral marches and wedding dances, of death sagas and courting rituals, of happy and tragic love songs - in short, anecdotes of everyone’s life story.


Magic Violin alias Gundula has been exploring the music of the Gypsy Romany people in Eastern European and Balkan regions for over 20 years. During her frequent fieldwork travels she collects pieces and delves into their musical and ethnographical background.


Jazz singer and clarinetist Nicola’s expertise lies in jazz and chanson from the 1920s to the 1940s. She has been performing songs from this era for almost 40 years, her interest also includes lifestyle and fashion of this time.



The Magic Violin Trio


In a story told through music, The Magic Violin Trio transports the listener through countries and cultures, performing Eastern European and Balkan folk and Gypsy music. Influenced by musical traditions of old, the trio of strings and singer bring a fresh and charismatic feel to their performances.


The Magic Violin Trio comprises Gundula on lead vocals and violin, Jeremy Halliwell on guitar, and Fraser Perry on cello and backing vocals. They evolved in 2020 from the string players of Gundula’s 5-piece Balkan ensemble Tatcho Drom when Corona restrictions meant only three players could fit in the rehearsal space.



The Bluebelle Jazz Trio was born in 2017 out of a long-standing collaboration with composer Eric Sanders, who died in 2021 aged nearly 102. Eric commissioned Nicola and Gundula to put together a trio for an extended series of events to celebrate his long life and our shared love of the music of the 30s. 


The Trio consists of Nicola Burnett Smith (clarinet, vocals), Gundula Stojanova Gruen (violin, vocals) and Fraser Parry (piano). They have been working together in various combinations for almost 20 years, their shared love for playing 1930s music has brought them together to create the group.



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