ON the first approach to the old building of the Union of Blind People in Bulgaria all you can hear is the rhythmic knocking of the hammer set to help the visitors orientate.

As you draw closer to 172 Naicho Tsanov Boulevard, however, the knocking is gradually drowned out by the heavenly voices of singers from the choir of blind people rehearsing for their upcoming concert.

The Academician Petko Staynov Choir was founded in 1935 by a group of blind musicians. At that time it was one of the first amateur performing choirs in the country. In 1948 the formation was pronounced a professional choir after an audition. It was named after one of the greatest Bulgarian composers Petko Staynov who lost his sight as a child.

Conductor Petar Matev said: "At one time there were about 75 singers in the choir. Now there are some 25 singers, male and female.

"There are only three singers with normal sight. And there are two people who occasionally come to help us. So, some 80 per cent of us are blind. Some can see certain things from a very close distance but more than 50 per cent are totally blind. Therefore this is a really unique choir."

Initially the choir was supported by the Union of Blind People and the singers were staff employees of the union which enabled them to receive a salary for their work. In August 1999, however, the union withdrew the financing due to lack of funds and the singers were made redundant.

"Now we are on our own trying to survive," Matev said. "Some people stopped coming to rehearsals. They decided they do not need such a way of working without being paid enough. Others, who came from other towns in Bulgaria, could not afford to stay in Sofia any more.

"Singers occasionally receive small fees if we manage to find money."

Most of the singers in the choir rely on very small disability pensions. Some have been forced to find work as street musicians, peddlers and beggars. They sing with the choir on a purely voluntary basis.

Singer Desislav Dimov told The Echo: "I came to the choir in 1995 because I had no other sources of income. Now we do not get a lot of money but it is still some money and we come here basically because it is fun."

Desso lost his sight in early childhood. He is from Stara Zagora and has studied the piano, mandolin and guitar. Desso is a fifth-year student of law and has nine more exams to graduation. He hopes to work as a lawyer. He currently earns his living as a musician performing with the Merry Guys band which plays and sings in the Serdika metro station, Pirotska Street and by the fountain in Slaveikov Square. The band is composed of six people, all of them blind, and five of whom are singers from Academician Petko Staynov choir.

Soloist Nelly Stoycheva said: "For me this choir is unique and very necessary for the people who have problems with their sight.

"Not only that but some very good musical pieces are sung here. From a musical point of view the choir has a very broad repertoire, it includes any genres of music.

"We come to sing here not only because this gives us great pleasure but also to preserve what has been created."

Despite the difficulties the choir tries to find sources of financing and ways to be self-sustaining. In October 1999, Petar Matev and other members of the choir established the Choir of Blind People Academician Petko Staynov Foundation.

He said: "The foundation was established as that is the easiest form of legal registration and the easiest to manage. One of the purposes is purely commercial - to raise money. Another major goal of the foundation is to find engagements for the choir because it is extremely important for a choir to rehearse and perform in front of audience. That is the way to keep it alive. Otherwise we just sit on chairs."

The choir does not have regular rehearsals. Members are `on call' - they get together and rehearse when there is a performance coming up. Last week was extremely busy for them because they were getting ready for their participation in a charity concert last weekend together with popular Bulgarian musicians such as rock singer Vasko Krupkata, folk singer Valya Balkanska, Diana Dafova and many representatives of the community of physically challenged people.

On Sunday, May 20, the choir will perform at the fourth festival of church music at the Sveta Paraskeva church in Sofia.

The choir's repertoire includes many kinds of music. "We perform classical, pre-classical, romanticism pieces, with domination of Bulgarian folk and church-Slavonic music."

When they start learning a new piece, the singers first learn the notes which are written in the Braille alphabet - different combinations of nine holes which stand for notes and letters. Then they learn the lyrics which are written on different booklets. At concerts they perform without using notes or words.

Matev explained the way they rehearse: "I conduct the choir in the normal way. That way I combine leading the people who can see. While doing that I make particular signals. I pronounce the text very distinctly so they can hear me. Sometimes even the audience can hear my voice."

The union has given the choir a free room for rehearsals. The chairs are arranged in lines and the singers are divided according to their voices. Matev stands very close to them and even walks between them constantly tapping with his foot to count the rhythm.

He said: "I still do not know why I am here or why I came at the beginning but I do not plan to quit. I always try to persuade them that they are like any other normal people and to convince them not to underestimate themselves nor to think of themselves as a low category of person."

Petar Matev can be reached at (02) 230412 or by email at matev@spnet.net The address of the organisation is 51 Vassil Drumev Street, apt. 33.