Mom's children

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Mum's children at the Black Forrest Voices Festival in Kirchzarten on June 30, 2019

Mutti's children was a German a cappella trio, consisting of the actors Claudia Graue (* 1982, mezzo-soprano ), Marcus Melzwig (* 1979, baritone ) and Christopher Nell (* 1979, tenor / countertenor ).

history

The three singers, who live in Berlin and Dortmund, met as drama students while studying at the Rostock University of Music and Drama . Because they felt that singing was neglected in their training, they began to sing together. In 2004 they founded their vocal ensemble “Muttis Kinder”. They specialized in a cappella singing because they felt that they could not master any instrument as well as their voice. Although they did not appear in the classic a cappella line-up (at least four singers, one for each vocal range), they soon had great success with their characteristic style of presentation. After completing their studies, all three took on engagements at the theater, but continued to sing. They have been freelance artists since 2010, which gives them the opportunity to give more concerts in theaters and on cabaret stages throughout the German-speaking area and other European countries (e.g. Italy, Croatia, Romania and Russia). In 2011 a tour through Asia followed, including Singapore and Taiwan. In 2016 they made guest appearances in Manchester and in 2017 at the invitation of the German embassy in Canada. At times they did 140 concerts a year. At festivals they received various critics and audience awards.

In August 2019, mom's children announced their departure at the end of the year, at least a "longer break" should be taken. In the last week of December there was a series of appearances in Berlin's "Bar Every Vernunft" with the title "Farewell Concert", the last on December 30th.

Repertoire / style

Mum's children mostly sing cover versions of international ("Hold Heart"), but sometimes also German ("Romantic") pop hits. Also own compositions ("Porcelaine Throne" by C. Nell) and folk songs ("Guter Mond, du geht so stille"), z. Some of them in dialect are included in their repertoire . The instrumental accompaniment and other noises (riding, screaming seagulls, wind, etc.) are imitated with the help of the voices. But mom's children don't just reinterpret existing songs, they put their own individual stamp on the selected material. They usually present them in a slightly to strongly alienated way by performing them as polyphonic, thoroughly choreographed units. This can go from small changes or additions to a complete redesign or to merging several songs into a new unit. Occasionally, songs are transferred to a completely different genre (the rap "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio , for example, is used as a nursery rhyme) or summarized in thematic medleys ("dance medley"). The acting talent of the three comes into play: One or a series of songs are turned into "mini- chamber plays ", often of a comedic nature. Here, too, the palette of influencing the source material extends from the smallest gestures to imaginative design, e.g. B. in the form of expressive exaggeration. Poetry and clowning are often close together. However, they always work with great vocal and facial precision.

Programs

Mum's children in the Schauspielhaus Leipzig on September 13, 2019

Mum's children give live programs, many of them in the Berlin “ bar every reason ” and then on tours. The programs with a fixed title played so far are:

  • 2018 "Best of - Our Greates Hitst"
  • 2017 "The Epic Program"
  • 2016 "Breast of Mutti's Children"
  • 2013 "Time to Dream - Unreleased Hits"
  • 2012 "The first concert" (Bar every reason and on tour)
  • 2007–2010 "Good moon, you walk so quietly - Mutti's children sing from Mozart to Morissette" ( Berliner Ensemble )

media

  • 2018 Radio play " Simeliberg " by Michael Fehr - Music (first broadcast on January 20, 2018 on Bayern 2)
  • 2013 CD "Unreleased Hits" (in-house production)
  • 2011 DVD "Muttis Kinder" (in-house production)

Trivia

  • Mum's children always gather around a highly sensitive studio microphone of the type "Neumann U87 Ai" when they appear
  • For their last programs they chose titles with letter games ("programs")
  • A typical utensil (and an occasion for small humorous inserts) is a shared water bottle.

Prizes / awards

  • 2018 winner of the "Radio Play of the Month" of the German Academy of Performing Arts for "Simeliberg"
  • 2015 winner of the " Wilhelmshavener Knurrhahn "
  • 2013 winner of the "A-Cappella-Award Ulm" and the audience award
  • 2013 1st jury and audience award at the European Cabaret Competition in Bolzano
  • 2012 winner of the Herborn Schlumpeweck
  • 2011 winner of the prize of the Freiburg cultural exchange “Freiburger Leiter” for the best musical performance
  • 2010 Winner of the "Ward Swingle Award" in the "Comedy" category at the 12th International A Cappella Competition as part of the Vocal.total.2010 Festival in Graz + audience award + "Special Award for outstanding performance"
  • 2004 2nd place in "Jugendkulturell" - 2004 award

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ "Muttis Kinder" - cult hits with a difference. Retrieved February 11, 2019 .
  2. ↑ BAR JEDER VERNUNFT Theater: BAR JEDER VERNUNFT: Mutti's Children - The Epic Program (trailer). January 30, 2017, accessed February 11, 2019 .
  3. ^ Aachener Nachrichten: Aachen: Kulturfestival X: A capella trio "Muttis Kinder" inspires. Retrieved February 11, 2019 .
  4. ↑ BAR JEDER VERNUNFT Theater: Bar TV: Mutti's Children - Time to Dream (Premiere 2013). May 15, 2013, accessed February 11, 2019 .
  5. ↑ The song decomposers. Retrieved February 11, 2019 .