When this thrilling, spine-tingling soundtrack first struck Western ears, back in 1986, the effect seemed almost frightening in its intensity, like a Greek tragedy. The women's voices combine in a haunting mixture of harshness and purity, the very opposite of the Western notion of a ladies' choir although many of them were, in fact, members of the Women's Chorus of Bulgarian State Radio. This is not simple folk music. The songs themselves are ancient, mostly dating from the years of Turkish domination, but shaped and refined over the years by the singers themselves, working with some of Bulgaria's leading composers. This was the first and probably the best of the four Voix Bulgares albums. If you have not yet experienced the mystery of Bulgarian voices, don't let the chance pass by.--Dave Gelly