Paul Robeson Choir

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The Paul Robeson Choir has been a mixed gospel choir in Berlin since 1963, whose repertoire also includes spirituals and blues . Namesake is Paul Robeson , an American singer, actor and civil rights activist.

history

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Hugo Jahns founded a youth choir in the Kreiskulturhaus-Friedrichshain in 1963 , which was given the name Paul Robeson Choir in 1964 with the consent of the artist who was still alive at the time. Hugo Jahns was supported by the choir assistant Bärbel Plöckinger. In 1966 the Paul Robeson Choir merged with the company choir of the VEB Filter und Vergaserwerke. The company provided the choir with financial security. At the beginning the choir had about 60 members and several choir soloists. The repertoire ranged from international folklore to Negro spirituals and protest songs of the US civil rights movement to pop music . Hugo Jahns wrote many arrangements himself and accompanied the choir on the piano. A combo took over the accompaniment at important concerts. The Paul Robeson Choir performed in the Friedrichstadtpalast , on television and in 1973 at the X World Youth Festival in Berlin.

In 1974 Eckhard Klemm took over the artistic direction of the Paul Robeson Choir. After the departure of numerous choir members, Klemm rebuilt the choir so that it was able to perform again in chamber choir strength in 1976. The repertoire remained roughly the same. Klemm also wrote numerous arrangements for the choir itself. The Paul Robeson Choir also received support from the sponsor company VEB Herrenmode, which financed the choir clothing. After Eckhard Klemm's death, Günter Nessing took over the direction of the choir for two years. He was followed by Johannes Voigt , who was supported by the choir assistant Marianne Pobbig , geb. Eggers was supported. She has been linked to the choir through her work since 1976. In addition, there was now a permanent pianist, Undine Martin . Since there were not enough male voices in the choir, the choir received support from singers from the Berlin Radio Choir and the State Opera Choir . Concert tours have taken the choir to the districts of Rostock , Neubrandenburg and Frankfurt / Oder . In 1988, the participation in the anniversary concert on the 20th anniversary of Martin Luther King's death in the Kreuzkirche in Königs Wusterhausen attracted media attention.

In 1989/90 the choir assistant and the pianist left the choir and Johannes Voigt looked for a successor. He was found in the autumn of 1990 in Heinz Rożek , who was the artistic director for four years. Hartmut Valenske was the pianist during this period (and remained so until 2011). In 1990 the state or company funding of the rehearsal rooms and the choir director ended. A specially newly founded association, the Paul Robeson Choir Berlin eV , now secured the rehearsals. The choir found a new place to stay temporarily in the Handel High School as well as in other districts. The repertoire was expanded by Heinz Rożek to include Indian folklore, protest songs of the South African liberation movement, blues and titles by George Gershwin . Concert tours have taken the choir to Mecklenburg and Cologne . On the 25th anniversary of Martin Luther King's death, the choir took part in the memorial service again. Performances in the chamber music hall of the Philharmonie followed .

Vera Zweininger took over from Heinz Rożek. Under her direction, jazz and pop titles came into the repertoire. The choir assistant was now Martin Derday , who not only set up a barbershop group, but occasionally also represented the choir pianist Hartmut Valenske. The choir performed ten concerts a year plus one concert at the end of the annual rehearsal weekend. A concert tour took the choir to Prague and there was another performance in the chamber music hall. The 35th birthday of the choir coincided with the 100th birthday of Paul Robeson, which was celebrated with a gala concert in the Pentecostal Church in Friedrichshain.

In 1998 Andrei Ezerski took over the artistic direction. In 2000, after years of changing rehearsal rooms, a fixed rehearsal location was found in rooms of the Samaritan community . The choir has given numerous concerts in and around Berlin. The high point in the history of the choir was a week-long tour to Israel in April 2000. This was followed by a concert tour to Sweden . In 2003 the former choir assistant and pianist Martin Derday took over the direction of the choir. In 2008 a CD of the choir was produced. Seven years later Geun-Yong Park took over the artistic direction and Martin Derday became choir assistant and pianist again. In 2013 the Paul Robeson Choir celebrated its 50th anniversary, in which the choir founder Hugo Jahns, now 82 years old, also took part. In 2016 a concert tour took the choir to Barneveld in the Netherlands . In 2020 Joachim Kuipers replaced his predecessor Martin Derday.

Former choir members founded Die Gospel-Oldies Berlin in 2006 under the artistic direction of Hugo Jahns .

Choirmaster

  • Hugo Jahns (1966–1974)
  • Eckhard Klemm (1974–1981)
  • Günter Nessing (1981-1983)
  • Johannes Voigt (1984–1990)
  • Heinz Rożek (1990–1994)
  • Vera Zweiniger (1994–1998)
  • Andrei Ezerski (1998-2003)
  • Martin Derday (2003-2011)
  • Geun-Yong Park (2011-2014)
  • Martin Derday (2014-2019)
  • Joachim Kuipers (since 2020)

Discography

  • 1971 Cloud (ThomasNatschinski)
  • 2008 Paul Robeson Choir Berlin eV, Gospels, Spirituals, Jazz

Appreciations

Web links

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Neues Deutschland, August 8, 2008, visited August 20, 2020
  2. ↑ Berliner Zeitung, November 23, 1973
  3. ↑ Berliner Zeitung, November 23, 1973
  4. ↑ Katharina Fleischer: Choirs in Berlin morgenpost.de from August 3, 2013.