University of York Music Press

'Written in 2010 and first performed by the 24, the Vocal Ensemble of The University of York, these three songs, E Bukura Morea (The Beautiful Morea), Qenke veshur me te bardha (Dressed in White - a wedding song), and Trendeline (a love song) are very well known in the Albanian speaking world. As in most folk songs, these tunes are remarkably short; the melodies themselves have not been altered, but have been extended, enriched in texture, and presented in different ways. Each song has its own flavour and character; E Bukura Morea, for example, is some 500 hundred years old! It has its origin in Southern Italy where an Albanian community has lived for more than five centuries; and so has the song, which has been passed on from generation to generation. The tenderness of the melodic lines expresses the love for the distant homeland, which according to legend can be seen from the Calabrian mountain-tops. A distinct branch of Indo-European languages, Albanian is a phonetic language, and very easy to pronounce. I am delighted that the National Youth Choir of Great Britain is singing these songs, in Albanian, of course, for much would be lost in translation!' - Thomas Simaku

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