General Cecilia Association for Germany

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Patron saint Saint Cäciliä
St. Cecilia in the rose window of the parish church St. Laurentius Sommerau

The General Cäcilien-Verband (ACV for short) was founded in Bamberg in 1868 as the General German Cäcilienverein and is a choir association of the Catholic Church . The headquarters of the ACV for Germany , which represents around 15,000 Catholic choirs , is in Regensburg . The patron saint of Catholic church music and namesake of the association is St. Cecilia of Rome , an early Christian virgin and martyr .

The association

According to its statutes, the association is a private church association according to Can. 298 § 1 CIC and active in the field of the German Bishops' Conference . In 1870 he received his license to practice medicine from Pope Pius IX. In the Breve Multum ad movendos animos of December 16, 1870, not only the name of the association is specified - Associatio sub titulo Sanctae Caeciliae pro universis Germanicae linguis Terris ("General Cecilia Association for the German-speaking countries") - but also his international composition and its canonical position. This papal approbation was supplemented by the appointment of cardinal protectors who took on a supervisory and mediating function between the association and the Holy See . From 1970 this office was not filled again.

After the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) a development began that ultimately led to the General Cäcilien-Verband for the countries of the German language being divided into three independent national associations ( Germany , Austria , Switzerland ) "Standing Conference of the General Cecilia Associations of the German-speaking States (SK-ACV)" continue to work together.

The ACV promotes church music through church music conferences and publications. The association provides suggestions for church music compositions and research. He maintains contacts with the Protestant Church, the German Music Council and the Federal Association of German Choir Associations (BDC). In 1951 the Pueri Cantores working group was founded.

The president of the German section is Marius Schwemmer , the managing director is Oswald Freudenreich (Regensburg). Objectives and tasks can be paraphrased with the motto of its founder Franz Xaver Witt : "We want nothing more than to promote the practical implementation of what the church has ordered about music". The liturgy should be "protected from distortion, from alienation and preserved in its original beauty".

Austrian Church Music Commission (ACV for Austria)

The office is in Salzburg .

Swiss Catholic Church Music Association (ACV for Switzerland)

The Swiss Catholic Church Music Association (SKMV) was founded in 1988 as a national association for German-speaking Switzerland.

Cardinal protectors

General President of the ACV and President of the ACV for Germany

  • 1868–1888: Franz Xaver Witt (1834–1888)
  • 1889–1899: Friedrich Schmidt (1840–1923)
  • 1899–1910: Franz Xaver Haberl (1840–1910)
  • 1910–1926: Hermann Müller (1868–1932)
  • 1926–1929: Karl Weinmann (1873–1929)
  • 1930–1943: Johannes Mölders (1881–1943)
  • 1943–1948: vacant
  • 1948–1954: Friedrich Frei (1883–1959)
  • 1954–1964: Johannes Overath (1913–2002)
  • 1964–1971: P. Wilhelm Lueger CSsR (1911–1971)
  • 1972–1984: Joseph Anton Saladin (1908–1996); Deputy General Praeses 1972–1974
  • 1984–1989: Udo Hildenbrand (* 1943); elected General Praeses 1984–1985, acting President for Germany 1986–1989
  • 1989–2018: Wolfgang Bretschneider (* 1941); Acting President for Germany 1989–1991, President of the ACV for Germany since 1991
  • From 2018: Marius Schwemmer (* 1977); The election of the board took place in November 2017 due to the ACV anniversary in 2018.

Badges of honor and medals

Within the association there is the possibility to honor deserving members or choirs:

Surname description particularities
Cecilia badge The badge is a badge of honor and is given as an award for long-term church choir membership or for church music anniversaries. The Cecilia badge is available in a simple version (without a wreath) and with a silver (25th anniversary) or gold wreath (40-year membership) and with the numbers 50, 60 and 70 on the wreath. The decorations themselves are made of brass, silver-plated or gold-plated and approx. 10 × 10 mm in size.
Palestrina medal The Palestrina Medal was donated in 1968 on the occasion of the centenary of the General Cecilia Association for the German-speaking countries. It is awarded to all active church choirs that can prove a church music activity of at least one hundred years .
Ambrosius Medal The Ambrosius Medal of the ACV, which in memory of St. Milanese Bishop Ambrosius , can be awarded to personalities who have rendered outstanding services to church music either full-time or on a voluntary basis beyond their area of ​​activity. The local pastor can apply for the award.
Zelter badge The Zelter badge was donated by Federal President Theodor Heuss in 1956 as an award for choir associations that have made special contributions to the maintenance of choral music and German folk songs and thus to the promotion of cultural life . The Zelter badge is awarded at the earliest by the Federal President on the occasion of the choir's hundredth anniversary.
Orlando di Lasso Medal The Orlando di Lasso medal is the association's highest distinction and is only awarded in special cases on the basis of outstanding church music merits in music research, composition, music culture and music education. Awards are made by unanimous decision of the presidents of the regional associations.
ACV merit pin A special commitment in the field of church music is to be honored with the needle and a corresponding certificate. Organists, choir directors or treasurers, for example, can be awarded with the merit badge. The award of the award can be requested informally from the ACV.
Music director ACV The title recognizes outstanding artistic and educational church music achievements over a period of usually at least 10 years. The title is a certificate of achievement in addition to diplomas and other musical degrees. The award is preceded by an examination procedure by a commission consisting of the executive committee of the ACV and, if necessary, an individual member from the advisory board of the ACV.

Publications

In addition to the specialist magazine for Catholic church music, the ACV publishes writings, sheet music editions and sound carriers.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ German Choir Association Pueri Cantores e. V. Retrieved August 6, 2019 .
  2. ^ Marius Schwemmer new President of the ACV. General Cecilia Association for Germany, accessed on November 15, 2017 .
  3. ↑ Publications. In: acv-deutschland.de. General Cecilia Association for Germany, accessed on August 6, 2019 .