Gospel in the east

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Gospel in the east
Gospel in the East Friedenskirche, Stuttgart.jpg
Seat: GermanyGermany Stuttgart
Founding: 2005
Genus: Gospel choir
Founder: Ev. Heilandskirchengemeinde Stuttgart
Head : Thomas Dillenhöfer
Voices : 600+ ( SATB )
Website : http://www.gospelimosten.de/

Gospel in the East , short: GiO , is a gospel choir and project choir founded in Stuttgart in 2005 and known for its size . The name refers to the east of Stuttgart as the place of establishment and activity. Thomas Dillenhöfer is the choirmaster.

Choir

history

Gospel in the East (GiO) originated in the Evang. Heilandsgemeinde in Stuttgart-Ost on an initiative of the parish priest Albrecht Hoch, who wanted a new, inviting musical work for his parish. Thomas Dillenhöfer, at that time also the choirmaster of nu company , took over the direction, pianist Alexander Pfeiffer took over the musical accompaniment and band direction.

About 30 singers came to the first rehearsal in April 2005. Within ten years, the number of participants has increased tenfold. Various activities and side projects were created in parallel. In 2016, Gospel in the East gathered between 400 and 500 voices for each of its quarterly projects and is one of the "largest choirs of its kind in all of Germany". Since the Heilandskirche can accommodate a maximum of 300 people, the choir relocated to the Friedenskirche (also in Stuttgart-East) for rehearsals and concerts from September 2014 due to the unchecked growth. Since March 2015 the monthly gospel service “GospelHaus” with the Ludwigsburg religious educator Siegfried Zimmer has been taking place there. In March 2020 the “GospelHaus” service format celebrated its 5th anniversary. Since January 1st, 2016 the Ev. Gesamtkirche Stuttgart main supporter of the choir work.

With the project concluding concerts "PrimeTime", "AbendGospel" and "MorgenGospel" as well as participation in major Stuttgart events such as the German Evangelical Church Congress (2015) or the Chorfest (2016), gospel has become a fixture in the city's cultural and church music landscape in the east. Gospel music events specially initiated by GiO, such as the international choir week “Time to celebrate” (2013) with around 500 participants or the gospel weekend festival “GospelOpen” (2016) further increased awareness of the choir's work. With concert tours to Chile, Denmark, Romania and Switzerland, GiO also attracts attention abroad. In 2017 the second studio CD recording "My world needs you" took place and was celebrated at a colorful release party with many musical guests. The first original composition "Songs from Messiah" was premiered in the Friedenkirche, Stuttgart (2019). Georg Friedrich Handel's best-known work “The Messiah” was newly composed and interpreted in current gospel and worship styles and for large choirs and large bands. A live CD production will be completed by summer 2020.

profile

Gospel in the East is an amateur and project choir. Each project lasts about three months and ends with various final concerts and church services. New participants can join every project. Gospel in the East invites you to sing together openly and regardless of previous knowledge, age and denomination / religion. The heterogeneous composition of the choir, in which z. B. over 20 nationalities are represented, as well as the strong growth of the formation. The choir's motto is: Singing is a matter of luck .

Choir work and partner choirs

Gospel in the East describes itself as choir, community and district work and is u. a. funded by the city of Stuttgart. In addition to the well-attended GospelHaus monthly service, many other sub-groups, offers and activities have formed around and out of the choir, including discussion groups, workshops, the GospelLounge concert service series and various leisure activities. In addition, choir director Thomas Dillenhöfer founded and leads together with other musicians and communities also fast-growing partner choirs in Waldenbuch ( gospel in St. Veit ) and St. Gallen / Switzerland ( gospel in the center ). A gospel choir ( Santiago Gospel ) was also established in Santiago de Chile in partnership with GiO .

music

character

Gospel in the East sings contemporary, English-language gospel music and modern Christian worship music . GiO is accompanied at concerts by a band of professional musicians consisting of e-piano, drums, guitar, e-bass, trombone and saxophone. Choir director Thomas Dillenhöfer and band leader Alexander Pfeiffer write arrangements and compositions for choir and band based on existing and sometimes well-known gospel songs. The musical design of the performances and the arrangements are based heavily on the lively and emotional music of traditional Black Gospel in the USA. This also includes movements and choreographies of the choir, the free improvisation of the soloists and requests to the community / concert-goers.

Highlights (selection)

  • Annual open-air Advent concert AdventsGospel in the old castle in Stuttgart
  • June 2013 Organization of the international choir meeting "Time to celebrate" in Stuttgart with over 500 participants from Germany, Switzerland and Chile and concerts in the Liederhalle Stuttgart and the Stadthalle Reutlingen
  • December 1st, 2013 Gospel concert for the 100th birthday of the Heilandskirche with approx. 340 singers
  • July 19, 2014 PrimeTime open-air concert in front of the Villa Berg in Stuttgart with around 350 singers
  • December 2nd, 2014 Benefit concert for the benefit of the station mission in Stuttgart's St. Eberhard Cathedral
  • January 2015 Participation in the international choir week Joy in Santiago de Chile (organized by the partner choir Santiago Gospel)
  • March 15, 2015 GospelHaus premiere with project choir and over 700 visitors
  • 4th July 2015 Open-air concert PrimeTime in front of the Villa Berg in Stuttgart with around 400 singers
  • November 28, 2015 PrimeTime gospel concert in the deep lecture hall of the University of Stuttgart with around 250 voices
  • May 29, 2016 Concert at the Stuttgart Choir Festival in the Liederhalle Stuttgart
  • July 2016 Event of the GospelOpen festival at various locations in Stuttgart with a total of around 3,000 visitors (estimate)
  • June 2017 Participation in the international gospel choir meeting Mighty Wind in St. Gallen
  • October 21, 2017 CD Release Party Gospel im Stahlwerk
  • April 2018 concert tour to a gospel festival in Copenhagen with a performance in Tivoli
  • June 16, 2018 Project final concert in the Liederhalle Stuttgart with 2000 visitors
  • July 19, 2018 Performance of the GiO Small Edition with Jamie Cullum at the Jazz Open Schlossplatz, Stuttgart
  • November 29, 2019 World premiere of Songs from Messiah in the Friedenskirche Stuttgart

Discography

  • Singing is a matter of luck (EP, 2011)
  • Time To Celebrate (Gospel im Osten & Friends, digital album and DVD with live recordings, 2013)
  • La Buena Vida (2014)
  • My world needs you (2017)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Stuttgarter Nachrichten of May 29, 2013: http://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/inhalt.s-ost-gospelchoere-treffen-sich-im-osten.00ac712c-d7f4-4855-b28d-58a2a5eeb7f6.html
  2. ↑ Reutlinger Nachrichten of June 12, 2013: http://www.swp.de/reutlingen/lokales/reutlingen/ein-fest-der-voelkerverstaendigung-fiegen-8826592.html
  3. ↑ Stuttgarter Nachrichten of November 27, 2019: https://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/inhalt.urauffuehrung-messias-projekt-von-gospel-im-osten-der-messias-aus-dem-osten-hat-den -blues.767fb832-8984-43c3-bf08-cabe863f2c14.html .
  4. ↑ http://www.gospelimosten.de/ueber-uns/philosophie/
  5. ↑ http://www.gospelimosten.de/ueber-uns/geschichte/