Wilhelm Decker (musician)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wilhelm Decker (born December 8, 1860 in Sasbachwalden ; † January 15, 1938 in Münchwilen ) was a Swiss teacher , musician , music teacher and music director .

life and work

After Decker had successfully completed his teacher training at the preparatory school in Meersburg and at the Ettlingen seminar in Karlsruhe , he worked in various small towns in the Black Forest . In 1881, when he was young, Decker was involved in founding the “Sasbachwalden Music Band”. This association still exists today under the name "Kur- und Trachtenkapelle Sasbachwalden 1881 eV".

Decker devoted his free time to music and, at the age of 27, took a vacation to acquire a music director's diploma in Leipzig . In Konstanz he found the opportunity to work as a music teacher and took over singing lessons at the grammar school and also the organ service at the city 's St. Stephen's Church .

When the position of music teacher at the Kreuzlingen seminar had to be filled, Decker was chosen. Here he taught violin , piano and organ .

As a successful organ player, Decker was the head of the organists' association. From 1894 to 1929 he was the cantonal conductor in the Thurgau choir and leader of several Swiss singing courses as well as a referee at singing festivals outside the canton.

As a now naturalized Münchwiler, Decker composed songs a. a. "Chinese March" or "Thurgi du mis Heimatländli" (Thurgau du mein Heimatland), not to be confused with the Thurgau song .

In 1936 Decker retired after 44 years of teaching at the Kreuzlingen teacher training college . On the occasion of the big farewell party, the student body thanked music director Decker with a standing ovation.

The song "Thurgi`s git halt keis wie Du" (Thurgau, there is nothing like you) written by August Keller (Aachtal-Goethe) (1868–1950) was set to music by Decker, as were other songs from Keller's book "Mit Sang and sounded the world over ».

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Wilhelm Decker, music director . In: Thurgauer Jahrbuch . tape 15 , 1939, pp. 6 ( Download [PDF; 902 kB ; accessed on March 10, 2020]). Available at Thurgauer Jahrbuch - Volume 15. Obituary: Wilhelm Decker, Music Director. In: e-periodica . ETH Zurich .;
  2. ↑ Yvonne Aldrovandi-Schläpfer: A dazzling teacher who was called Aachtal-Goethe. In: Tagblatt . October 8, 2018, accessed March 10, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Decker, Wilhelm
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss teacher, musician, music teacher and music director
DATE OF BIRTH December 8, 1860
PLACE OF BIRTH Sasbachwalden
DATE OF DEATH January 15, 1938
Place of death Münchwilen