A Spell In Time's members draw on their knowledge of both traditional Bulgarian and contemporary British culture.

Moni Sheehan, artistic director, storyteller and dancer, is half Bulgarian. She trained in contemporary dance at Middlesex Polytechnic, and in Bulgarian folk dance in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Her passion for myth and folklore brought her to storytelling in 1993. In 1995 she and musician Ivor Davies formed A Spell In Time, the UK’s only Bulgarian myth and folklore theatre company. Since then she has dedicated herself to bringing this remarkable material to English-speaking audiences in accessible form.

Ivor Davies, musician, plays an unusual range of instruments including the Bulgarian gudoulka (nail fiddle), customized autoharp, bodhran and deer’s thighbone trumpet. He has collaborated with musicians from many different backgrounds from The Dunav Balkan Group to new wave folk songstress, Sharron Kraus. His work with storytellers has stimulated imaginative new sounds and instrumental methods such as playing the autoharp with a violin bow. In 1995 he co-founded A Spell In Time with Moni Sheehan.

Dessislava Stefanova, Bulgarian folk singer, grew up singing, first with the children’s ensemble, Zagorché with whom she toured internationally, and later with the renowned Philip Koutev Bulgarian State Music and Dance Ensemble. She moved to England in 2000 when she joined A Spell In Time with her haunting vocals. Her other achievements include forming and leading the London Bulgarian Choir; recording Wild Wind, the first ever CD course in Bulgarian Singing; and singing on the film soundtrack of Troy.

Galen Nikolov plays the Bulgarian kaval (wooden flute) and gaida (bagpipe). He plays in a wide variety of styles, in Bulgaria performing with wedding bands, the National Guard Wind Orchestra (clarinettist) and the Novi Pazar Bagpipe Ensemble. He now lives in London where he collaborates with several different groups. He joins A Spell In Time for Breathing The Dawn: Tales of Hidden Bulgaria

Paraskeva Armstrong, translator, is a native Bulgarian who has lived in England for many years. She does not perform but plays an invaluable role behind the scenes. She has worked with A Spell In Time on all its Bulgarian projects, translating the source texts for each programme. She has also worked as a translator for many visiting Bulgarian groups, and has contributed to the promotion of British-Bulgarian cultural and social exchange through her work with The British-Bulgarian Friendship Society.
 

Previous Members of A Spell In Time

Judy Greenwell, singer, performed with A Spell In Time from 1997-99 for Beyond Nine Forests. She trained in Bulgaria with members of Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares. She has also worked with the Bistritsa Grandmothers' Choir and other Bulgarian music groups.

Oliver Baldwin, plays the tambura (a six or eight stringed-instrument related to the mandolin) and the guitar. He performed with A Spell In Time from 1997-9 in Beyond Nine Forests. He currently plays with Arabic/Balkan band Mukka, the Dunav Balkan Group, klezmer band She'koyokh and the Professor No Hair jazz band.

Todor Todorov, multi-instrumentalist, plays the gaida (Bulgarian bagpipe), kaval (wooden flute) and tambura (a six- or eight-stringed instrument related to the mandolin). He joined A Spell In Time for the grand group performance of The Red Blood Rose extra at the 2004 Winter's Festival at the Edge.

Angel Atanasov Karaivanov, kaval (wooden flute) player, developed the original kaval music for Breathing The Dawn: Tales of Hidden Bulgaria and performed with A Spell In Time at the Beyond The Border Festival. He trained at the Academy of Music in Plovdiv, Bulgaria and toured Europe for seven years with the renowned folk band Lyra. He also plays with the Bulgarian band Puldin as well as collaborating with other musicians on world music projects.

Boris Kommitsky, kaval (wooden flute) player, joined A Spell In Time during 2005 to perform in Breathing The Dawn. He trained at the Academy of Music in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He now lives in London where he performs with other Bulgarian groups.
 

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