Paul Bischoff

Paul Bischoff (born June 23, 1935 in Fellbach near Stuttgart ; † October 11, 2019 ) was a German composer, songwriter and choir director.

Life

Paul Bischoff was born in Fellbach near Stuttgart in 1935 and grew up in a musical family. He studied mechanical engineering and found a job as a graduate engineer with what was then Süddeutscher Rundfunk . As a part-time job, he built a large choir with a children's choir, a youth choir and a large cantata choir at the Evangelical Johanneskirche in Sindelfingen . Male choir formations supplemented the choir's work. Every Sunday he improvised on the organ or as a pianist in evangelical services . Between 1964 and 2006, Paul Bischoff performed many major oratorio works in church music from the Baroque era to the present day, supported by large symphony orchestras. Again and again, Bischoff carried out “musical services” and cantata services together with theologians , with the mutual penetration of music and text of a church music work. Paul Bischoff passed away on October 11, 2019.

Works

For so-called “cinema services” in Stuttgart, Paul Bischoff created a jazz formation in 1963 together with Pastor Kurt Rommel . For the first time - outside the church walls - syncopated and rhythmically complex new hymns were heard, which reflected something of the novelty of the post-war years in church music:

• Lord, give me the courage to build bridges. In 1996 it was included in the Evangelical Hymnal of Württemberg (under the number 649).

More song books followed, e.g. B.

• Divine service for young people Sindelfingen (1968)
• Congregation and Band (1971)

Sound recordings

Sound recordings of almost all annual concerts were recorded and distributed on CD. B.

• High Mass in B minor by Johann Sebastian Bach
• St. Matthew Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach
• Elias by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

Honors

In 2008 Paul Bischoff received the Federal Cross of Merit on ribbon.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Paul Bischoff memorial page