Göttingen Boys Choir

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Göttingen Boys Choir
Seat: Goettingen GermanyGermany
Carrier: Göttinger Knabenchor eV
Founding: 1962
Genus: Boys' choir
Founder: Franz Herzog
Head : Michael Krause
Voices : SSAATTBB
Website : goettinger-knabenchor.de

The Göttingen Boys Choir , founded in 1962, is a mixed boys 'choir (SATB) in the tradition of the great Saxon boys' choirs. Today the choir, including the pre-choirs, consists of approx. 120 singers aged 6 to 21 years. As a non-denominational municipal choir , it has been directed by the music teacher Michael Krause since 2003.

history

The Göttinger Boys Choir 2016 in St. Johannis , Göttingen.

The Göttingen boys' choir emerged in 1962 from the school choir of a high school for boys, today's Felix-Klein-Gymnasium Göttingen. Under its founder Franz Herzog , a student of the Dresden Kreuzkantor Rudolf Mauersberger , the Göttingen boys' choir made a name for itself beyond the borders of Göttingen . Two years after it was founded, the choir made radio recordings for the North German Radio and the Hessian Radio . Various recordings and television appearances, etc. a. at ARD and ZDF followed. In 1967 the choir began its ongoing collaboration with the Göttingen International Handel Festival .

After Franz Herzog had to give up his post in 1980 for health reasons, Torsten Derlin (1981–1985), music teacher and former singer of the choir, took over the direction of the Göttingen Boys Choir, followed by cathedral choirmaster Martin Heubach from Bad Gandersheim (1985–1989) and Stefan Kaden (1989–2003), Crucians such as Franz Herzog. Michael Krause, graduate music pedagogue, senior teacher and head of the music branch at the Otto Hahn Gymnasium Göttingen, has been the artistic director of the Göttingen Boys Choir since 2003 . In addition to developing the classical choir literature for boys' choirs, Michael Krause expanded the choir's repertoire during his time, including: a. about works by contemporary composers and arrangements of popular music.

structure

Main choir

About 60 boys and young men aged 9 to 21 from various schools in Göttingen and the surrounding area sing in the main choir of the Göttingen Boys Choir. The boys' voices take on the soprano and alto parts and the male voices take on the tenor and bass parts. The choir rehearses two to three times a week in voice and overall rehearsals. In addition, there is a whole day of rehearsals every month, an annual six-day rehearsal free time, concerts and concert tours, choir encounters and CD recordings. Group and individual voice formation complement the rehearsal work.

Youth work

For children of preschool age, the “Chorkrabben” has been established, which introduces the boys to singing at an early age. The early intervention groups at various primary schools in Göttingen for boys in the first and second grades form the pillar of the youth work. Employees of the choir lead groups of young talents there as part of the school's all-day or care offers.

Singers with previous experience from these offers can continue singing in the two pre-choirs that build on each other, but they are also open to newcomers. There, individual voice training and initial introductions to the fundamentals of music theory take place. Every year over 100 boys from Göttingen and the surrounding area take part in the various junior programs. Regular appearances in partner schools and at the end of the school year with all young choirs prepare the singers for the entrance examination for the main choir.

Sponsorship

The choir is privately owned by a non-profit association (Göttinger Knabenchor e.V.). He will u. a. Institutionally funded by the City of Göttingen and the Regional Association of Southern Lower Saxony . Since 2020 the Göttingen Boys Choir has been part of the initiative of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture to promote excellent young choirs .

Musical profile

The Göttingen Boys Choir sings sacred and secular works for various ensembles from all epochs of music history. Particular importance is the A-Cappella attached -Chormusik. But large choral symphonic works are also performed, sometimes in cooperation with other choirs. The Göttingen Boys' Choir cultivates the musical legacy of its choir founder Franz Herzog in a special way, who has composed numerous sacred works, folk song arrangements and secular choral music for the choir. Music critics always emphasize the clear, radiant sound of the choir.

Concert tours and choir exchanges

Since its inception, the choir has undertaken numerous concert tours, including a. to England , France , Sweden , Poland , Switzerland , the Netherlands , the USA , South Africa and finally to Japan . The encounters with local choirs led to return visits. For example, despite the Cold War , a choir friendship with the Poznan nightingales from Poland developed during the 1970s. Further contacts are u. a. with the Cantores Minores Helsinki , the Hiroshima Boys Choir and the Dresdner Kreuzchor . The choir maintains a particularly close relationship with the Uetersen choir boys and the Wiesbaden boys' choir . Furthermore, the Göttingen Boys Choir regularly takes part in international choir meetings such as the Eurotreff in Wolfenbüttel .

Discography

Records

  • Franz Herzog: Music to Christian Morgenstern's Palmström, conducted by Franz Herzog, 1965
  • Whoever loves music, sacred and secular choral music, led by Franz Herzog, 1966
  • Rejoice earth and star tent I, headed by Franz Herzog, 1966
  • Romantic choral music, conducted by Franz Herzog, 1967
  • Rej 'dich Erd' and Sternenzelt II, led by Franz Herzog, 1969
  • Handel, The Messiah, together with the Poznan Nightingales, the Southwest German Chamber Orchestra and well-known soloists, led by Prof. Günther Weißenborn, 1973
  • Sacred choral music, conducted by Franz Herzog, 1974
  • Sacred and secular choral music, led by Franz Herzog, 1977
  • Christmas music, conducted by Franz Herzog, 1977
  • Sacred choral music, conducted by Torsten Derlin and Olaf Harmsen, 1981

CD productions

  • Christmas music, led by Stefan Kaden, 1996
  • 40 years of the Göttingen Boys Choir, led by Franz Herzog, Olaf Harmsen, Stefan Kaden, 2002
  • Christmas music, led by Michael Krause, 2007
  • The joy of the shepherds over the birth of Jesus, director Michael Krause, 2008
  • My soul lifts up the gentlemen, Head Michael Krause, 2009
  • Christmas music, led by Michael Krause, 2012
  • Historical recordings (selection of old recordings), conducted by Franz Herzog, 2012
  • Bach Christmas Oratorio, together with the OHG concert choir, the Göttingen Baroque Orchestra and well-known soloists, led by Michael Krause, 2013
  • 100th birthday of Franz Herzog, gala concert and lecture (Prof. Dr. M. Herrmann, Dresden), led by Michael Krause, 2017

literature

  • Herbert Schur, Gisela Krahmer (eds.): Franz Herzog and the Göttinger Knabenchor 1960–1980, Göttingen 1990.
  • Göttinger Knabenchor (Ed.): 50 Years of the Göttinger Knabenchor 1962–2012, Göttingen 2012.
  • Vitus Froesch: Franz Herzog - a Crucian in Göttingen. Choir conductor and composer. Tectum Wissenschaftsverlag, Baden-Baden 2017 (Dresdner Schriften zur Musik 10), pp. 111–157.
  • Herbert Schur: Laudation on the occasion of the unveiling of the memorial plaque for Franz Herzog, in: Göttinger Jahrbuch 2018, vol. 66, 2018, ISSN 0072-4882, p. 283 ff.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Chronicle 1962–1970 - Göttinger Knabenchor. Accessed April 7, 2020 (German).
  2. State sponsors Göttingen Jazz Festival and boys' choir. Retrieved April 7, 2020 .
  3. See Franz-Herzog-Werkverzeichnis (FHV), in: Vitus Froesch: Franz Herzog - ein Kruzianer in Göttingen . Choir conductor and composer . Tectum Wissenschaftsverlag, Baden-Baden 2017 (Dresdner Schriften zur Musik 10), pp. 111–157.
  4. A lot of euphony: Göttingen Boys' Choir gives a Christmas concert. Retrieved April 7, 2020 .
  5. ^ Jens Wortmann: Dona nobis pacem. Accessed April 7, 2020 (German).
  6. ^ Concert tours - Göttingen Boys Choir. Accessed April 7, 2020 (German).
  7. Guest choirs - Göttingen Boys Choir. Retrieved on May 11, 2020 (German).
  8. Gisela Krahmer: German-Polish choir friendship in the field of tension of politics, in: Göttinger Knabenchor (Ed.): 50 years Göttinger Knabenchor 1962–2012 , Göttingen 2012, p. 48ff.
  9. EUROTREFF 2017 - EUROTREFF. Retrieved on May 11, 2020 (German).