Heinrich Rohr

Heinrich Rohr (born March 18, 1902 in Ober-Abtsteinach in the Odenwald ; † December 29, 1997 in Mainz ) was a Catholic church musician and composer who, thanks to numerous compositions, made great contributions to liturgical parish singing in German.

biography

After working as an organist in his home community during the First World War and completing his teacher training in Bensheim in 1922 , he taught at the Marienschule (today Bischöfliches Willigis-Gymnasium ) in Mainz and studied at the music college there. Liturgical and church music training in the Abbey of Maria Laach and the close connection with the Catholic youth movement around Romano Guardini concluded this phase. From 1926 to 1929 he taught in Ruhlkirchen near Alsfeld in Upper Hesse, then at the advanced school in Alzey in Rheinhessen. Above all, the encounter with Adam Gottron , then the diocesan president of the church choirs, and the participation in the first church music week of the diocese of Mainz in Ilbenstadt in the Wetterau (1936) finally put him on the path of composing. In 1936 he received the commission from Gottron for a St. Matthew Passion for four-part mixed choir. In 1938 a German Te Deum followed for a community and four-part choir.

After the Second World War, Rohr was appointed church music director by Bishop Albert Stohr and head of the newly founded Institute for Church Music of the Diocese of Mainz . During this time he appeared several times at regional conferences and work weeks of the Quickborn (see Quickborn working group ) as a singing master.

Rohr composed the Mainz Cathedral Mass for the Liturgical Congress in 1965 . His participation in the Praise of God (1975) is documented by the numerous compositions it contains.

In 1973 Rohr retired from his diocesan church music positions, but continued to work as a composer . This is how he wrote the Praise of Christ (1980).

In the 1990s, at the age of over 80, he took part in the training of cantors at the Bad Nauheim Education Center under the direction of Günter Duffrer .

In the spring of 1997, on the occasion of the celebration of his 95th birthday, he completed his oeuvre with his work Deutsches Meßantiphonale , on which he worked for 70 years. On this 95th birthday he received a commemorative publication entitled A Life for the Singing Congregation .

Works in praise of God

• old 103, 129, 175 Kyrie call
• alt 115 We say to you dear Advent
• alt 154 Thank the father with joy
• alt 162 From the depths of our fear of death
• alt 173 Praise be to thee, king of eternal glory
• alt 214 Christ, victor over guilt and sin
• alt 217 Consecrate the paschal lamb
• old 246, 485 Kyrie call
• alt 425–428 Alban Mass
• alt 440–442 Mainz Cathedral Fair
• alt 444 Glory to God in the highest (All Saints' Mass)
• old 459 Holy, holy
• old 461 Lamb of God
• old 486 Praise and honor to God the Lord
• old 501 Holy, holy
• old 504 O Lord, we praise and praise you
• old 506 Christ, Lord, have mercy
• alt 507 Glory to God in heaven and on earth
• old 510 Holy, holy
• alt 511 Lord Jesus, you are the lamb
• old 524 God of the Father everlasting Son
• old 568 Come, Lord Jesus, come
• alt 571 Greetings, O Queen

Honors

• 1972 Martinus Medal of the Diocese of Mainz
• 1973 Papal Order of Gregory
• 1990 Ring of Honor from the German Liturgical Institute in Trier
• 1992 the Gutenberg badge of the city of Mainz .

Web links

• Works by and about Heinrich Rohr in the catalog of the German National Library

predecessor	Office	successor
-	Head of the Institute for Church Music Mainz 1946–1974	Hans Niklaus