The will-o'-the-wisps

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The will-o'-the-wisps
The will-o'-the-wisps 2016 standing (from left to right): Annika Thoma, Daniela Heiderich, Anna Karin; sitting: Brigitta Jaroschek (l.) and Stephanie Keup-Büser (r.)
The will-o'-the-wisps 2016
standing (from left to right): Annika Thoma, Daniela Heiderich, Anna Karin; sitting: Brigitta Jaroschek (l.) and Stephanie Keup-Büser (r.)
General information
Genre (s) Medieval music ,
folk ,
fantasy music ,
fairy tale music
founding 2001
Website www.die-irrlichter.de
Founding members
Brigitta Karin
Singing, davul , percussion , lute , dance
Anna Karin
Edwin Meissner
Singing, flutes , Rauschpfeife , violin, percussion
 Ulrike Endesfelder
Singing, shawm , rauschpfeife, flutes, bagpipes
Christoph Danielec
Current occupation
Vocals, bass lute, guitar, 12-string, cister, mandolin, harp
 Brigitta Jaroschek (nee Karin)
Singing, flutes, rauschpfeife, chalumeau , key fiddle
Stephanie Keup-Büser
Singing, bagpipes, shawm, flutes
 Annika Thoma
Flutes, Rauschpfeife, shawm, bagpipes, krummhorn , harp
 Daniela Heiderich

The will- o'-the-wisps are a medieval and fantasy music group from the Bonn area . The group appears in the medieval scene at home and abroad at markets , banquets, concerts and festivals as well as bards in live role play .

Brigitta Jaroschek is responsible for most of the lead vocals and songwriting. She is the only remaining member of the original cast. Since Christoph Danielec's departure in 2004, the group has existed as an all-women band.

Band history

The founding members (Christoph Danielec, Ulrike Endesfelder, Anna Karin, Bridget Karin and Edwin Meissner) formed up in early 2001 as a bard group for LARP events Select. According to interviews, her ballad Irrlichter , created at the time, was also the inspiration for the band name. The young band played their first concert as the opening act for Saltatio Mortis in spring 2001 at the MTC in Cologne.

At a medieval market they met Roland Kempen, a member of Die Streuner and music producer , who in 2002 produced and released their first album Koboldtanz with his record label Emmuty Records . The debut was very successful and quickly made the band known nationwide. Violinist Eddy Meissner quit soon afterwards and Stephanie Keup, who had already recorded as a guest musician on the first album , was accepted as a new full member.

In 2004 the second album was released, entitled Elfenhain . Although this CD was designed for (live) role-playing players more than the first, the will-o'-the-wisps were now increasingly booked for markets, concerts and festivals and began to establish themselves in the medieval scene. Founding member Christoph Danielec became a father during this time and eventually left the company altogether.

In 2005 a concept album called Angelus ad Virginem with medieval winter and Christmas music was recorded and released at the end of the year. Immediately after the recordings, Ulrike Endesfelder started a scholarship in the USA . After returning from the USA, she never returned to the stage and Ulla Kramer temporarily took her place as a violinist. With her and Christine Krull-Kosubek, the Irrlichter also produced their next album, Aventiure , which was released in 2006.

In the following two years, the group formed around the hard core of Brigitta Karin and Stephanie Keup. First Ulla Kramer and, towards the end of 2006, founding member Anna Karin left the band. For this Jutta Tiedge was accepted as a drummer / percussionist in 2007. After Christine Krull-Kosubek left the band at the end of 2007, the previous guest musician Jutta Simon-Alt joined as a full member at the beginning of the new year. In May 2008 there was another addition in the form of Daniela Heiderich, who had also played as a guest musician with the will-o'-the-wisps for a few months after her old formation Danserye broke up.

In Braunschweig 2009; v. l. To the right: Stephanie Keup, Jutta Simon-Alt, Brigitta Jaroschek, Jutta Tiedge, Daniela Heiderich

The newly established group founded their own production company and produced their new album Goldstück themselves. This fifth Irrlichter album was released in November 2008.

The album Rauhnächte was released in October 2010 . For the first time in the band's history, the line-up remained unchanged compared to the previous album, but this time the sound was experimented with: The pieces were not only recorded in the studio, but mostly in a church. Originally, the very successful Christmas concert program of the group was to be started with Rauhnächte ; During the production, however, it became a somewhat broader concept album with autumn and winter music. It differs from the other albums in that it has a solemn, concert mood without classical “market music”.

Further line-up changes became necessary in the following years. After founding member Brigitta Jaroschek had to take a break due to pregnancy, her sister Anna, who left in 2006, stepped in as a substitute and has since performed with the band again occasionally. Daniela Heiderich has had a similar status since 2012, who was no longer a permanent member due to her studies in Poitiers ( France ). In addition, at the beginning of 2013 there was a change of line-up in the field of drums / percussion, where Bettina Henrich temporarily succeeded Jutta Tiedge.

In 2015, a new album called Zaubergarten was released with the three remaining musicians of the core line-up (Brigitta Jaroschek, Stephanie Keup-Büser and Jutta Simon-Alt) . The focus is again on ballads, fairy tales and “magical” music, especially the setting of historical magic formulas. At the end of the year, Jutta Simon-Alt withdrew and guest musician Annika Thoma moved up as a full member.

Awards

  • In 2007 the will- o'-the-wisps won the 2007 Children's Song World Competition from WDR 5 and UNICEF with the song Die Aventiure des Kleine Geigling (from the album Aventiure ) .
  • In 2010 the group won all three prizes with their interpretation of Wan sî dahs (from the album Goldstück ) at the 5th Falkensteiner Minnesang Tournament in honor of Ougenweide : From the jury, consisting of the Ougenweide veterans Olaf Casalich, Minne Graw, Wolfgang von Henko , Jürgen Isenbart and Stefan Wulff, they were awarded the jury's honorary award and also won both the audience award and the Radio Aena radio award . It was the first time that women had been admitted to the minnesong tournament and also the first time that there were three prizes to be won.
  • In November 2013, the Irrlichter won 2nd place on WDR television as “Most Popular Street Musician 2013” ​​in the series “ at home + on the move ”. In the introductory program and later in the final (live) broadcast of the best three, they each played their interpretation of the song Eno sagrado en Vigo (from the album Angelus ad Virginem ), with the well-known melody by Karel Svoboda from the film Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella .

Discography

Albums

  • Goblin Dance (2002)
  • Elfenhain (2004)
  • Angelus ad Virginem (2005)
  • Aventiure (2006)
  • Goldstück (2008)
  • Rauhnächte (2010)
  • Magic garden (2015)

Singles

For promotional purposes, a single was made in 2006 with two tracks represented at Aventiure ( Luna's Blocksbar and Chapelloise ), which became known as Luna . It was not available in stores, but was sent to subscribers of the scene magazine LARPZeit with issue # 12 (July / August / September 2006). The protective cover of the Luna shows an alienated cover of the Aventiure in nocturnal colors, with the silhouette of a witch flying past the moon.

Members

Current members

tape

Brigitta Jaroschek (nee Karin)

The only founding member still active in the band and thus the longest-serving will-o'-the-wisp. Has composed most of the pieces of the Irrlichter own creations and also wrote many of the lyrics. Outside of the will-o'-the-wisps, she studied Scandinavian studies , comparative literature and pre- and early history ( Magister Artium ), completed her doctorate and works as a research assistant and lecturer at the University of Bonn .

Stephanie Keup-Büser

Not a founding member, but has been with us since the first CD (there as a guest musician). In addition to music, equestrian sport is her great passion. Outside of the will-o'-the-wisps she works as a riding and vaulting trainer and in early musical education and music therapy. Originally took part in knight tournaments as a rider and found medieval music more by chance.

Annika Thoma

Originally a fan, then a guest musician (including cello recordings on the Zaubergarten CD ) and a full member since 2016.

More musicians

Anna Karin

Founding member; left at the end of 2006, rejoined as part-time member in 2011. From her pen too many texts to known wisps songs, including stem wisps , The Right Man and The Little Geigling . Outside of the will-o'-the-wisps she works at the University of Bonn as a research assistant in the field of German historical linguistics and is working on her doctorate.

Daniela Heiderich
  • Flutes, Rauschpfeife, shawm, bagpipes, krummhorn , harp

She is a former member of the disbanded group "Danserye". After successfully completing her psychology studies , she moved to Poitiers (France), where she studied harp and bagpipes and now works as a musician and teacher at the conservatory.

former members

  • Edwin Meissner: violin . Founding member; dropped out in 2002, after the album Koboldtanz .
  • Christoph Danielec: vocals , shawls , rauschpfeife , recorders , tin whistle , bagpipes and all sorts of jokes. Founding member; left in 2004, after the album Elfenhain .
  • Ulrike Endesfelder: vocals , violin . Founding member; left in 2006, after the album Angelus ad virginem .
  • Ulla Kramer: violin , viola . Left in 2006, after the album Aventiure .
  • Christine Krull-Kosubek: vocals , bagpipes (A minor sack, Gaita, Hümmelchen ), Gemshorn , Renaissance flutes , bell ring . Left at the end of 2007; still active with the band A La Via
  • Jutta Tiedge: Davul , Landsknecht drum , Darabuka , cymbals , harp , percussion . She continues to play with "Der Schwartenhalß", is a dancer and runs a belly dance school in Cologne . Left at the end of 2012.
  • Bettina Henrich: drums , davul , cajón , small percussion, vocals. Left at the end of 2013.
  • Jutta Simon-Alt: vocals, bagpipes, shawm, oboe, flutes. Studied oboist and employed at the Open Jazz House School in Cologne, and also plays in the “Confettissimo” ensemble. Left at the end of 2015.

Others

Web links