Windsbacher Knabenchor

The Windsbacher Boys Choir is a wind stream -based Middle Franconia German boys' choir. He stands in the tradition of the great German boys' choirs, whose tasks are not alone in their concerts, but equally in the performance of liturgical tasks. Such measures include the wind Bachern the services in wind stream and the motets in the St. Lawrence Church in Nuremberg. The choir is an institution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria.

History

Hans Thamm, former singer of the Dresden Cross Choir, was appointed in 1946 as a choir prefect in the Protestant parish orphanage wind stream. Besides this activity, Hans Thamm also taught the subject of music on Humanistic Gymnasium in wind stream. Within a short time he formed in difficult material circumstances of a school and boarding an excellent choir boys' choir. Notes, voices and scores had to be hand written and copied by hand then. Food for the boarding ersangen the boys in the surrounding villages. One of the concerts was initially walked. His first big test consisted of the choir, now already as Windsbacher boys' choir, on the Ansbach Bach Week 1948. Thamm was encouraged both by Rudolf Mauersberger, as well as by Karl Richter to persevere and continue working on his project. Very soon began regular tape recordings by the Bayerischer Rundfunk. Of the fees it paid for the choir students were given a scholarship that only allowed many parents to pay the boarding fees.

From the mid- 1950s, the existence of the choir was threatened by the deepening of the voice of a large part of the youth choir. As a solution to the relocation of the choir was provided at the St. Lorenz Church in Nuremberg, to get into the city more choristers. Since this idea is not met with the regional church on reciprocal love, was built in 1957 with the help of public funds, the first choir house in wind stream. By this capacity also obtained primary school students in choral preparation classes could now be taken after the model of the cathedral choir. The first disc recordings created in 1958 under the label of Capella, later renamed Cantate ( Decca ).

Thamms successor, Karl -Friedrich Beringer took over in 1978 the line of the chorus. Under his aegis, the Windsbacher boys choir developed very rapidly into an internationally renowned vocal ensemble. Beringer adds to the repertoire of Windsbacher and worked for his performances with top German orchestras. Karl -Friedrich Beringer in 1992, the management of the Dresden Kreuz Choir and shortly after the St. Thomas Boys Choir Leipzig in Leipzig ( as early as 1957 Hans Thamm ) plotted. He stayed with the wind Bachem and was adopted in December 2011. His successor, since February 1, 2012 the former Kruzianer Martin Lehmann, until then head of the Wuppertal carolers.

Training

Most singers are housed in the Lutheran Home study and be taught in special classes Choir of the external Johann- Sebastian -Bach -Gymnasium. This can address the special needs of singers. For vocal training in boarding include vocal training, music theory and the daily choir rehearsals.

To ensure the completion of homework and deepening of curriculum, the daily study time at the boarding school is obligatory for lower and middle level. Depending on the level of performance an in-depth reworking fachbezogen offered by the high school teachers to compensate for delays resulting from canceled classes due to special tours and choir rehearsals before important performances in this framework.

In addition to the high school there is the possibility that local primary or secondary school in the wind stream and the secondary schools in the neighboring towns Neuendettelsau or Heilsbronn to visit.

Abuse allegations

In 2010, three years after the death of Hans Thamms, a group of former boarders published allegations against the choir founder Hans Thamm for alleged child abuse in the 1950s and 1960s.

In 2013, then was a decision of the Board of Trustees " Hans Thamm - hall" rückbenannt in " Big choir room ."

Already in the year 2004 these allegations were against Thamms successor, Karl -Friedrich Beringer, in the press become noisy. Investigations of the competent prosecutor could Ansbach the suspicion against Beringer, so the charge of assault and the charges of abuse of wards, not to harden.

Promote and support

The boys' choir, an independent public institution receives financial support from the " Society for the Promotion Windsbacher Boys Choir ", a private foundation, the patronage, a consortium of donors from the Nuremberg region, but especially of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria. It covers with their grants one-third of the annual budget of the facility.

Tours

With around 100 singers ( choir concert and travel: about 70 singers ) are the choir about 70 concerts a year. This includes annually about two major tours, which so far in other European countries (Norway, East Germany, Finland, Malta, France, Great Britain, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Spain, Greece), the former USSR, the Middle East (Israel ), the Far East (Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia), the United States, as well as to South America (Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay) led. The choir accompanied the German President Richard von Weizsäcker and Roman Herzog during state visits and also gave for the Federal President Johannes Rau a concert. In 2009, the Windsbacher boys choir toured with German folk songs for the first time in the People's Republic of China.

Repertoire

The musical focus of the Windsbacher boys choir is on the spiritual music, the repertoire ranges from the Renaissance to modern times. Besides a cappella works of all eras to works of Duke Ellington, it mainly covers the major works of, among others Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Felix Mendelssohn, Johannes Brahms, Anton Bruckner, Max Reger and Igor Stravinsky.

Awards

Recordings (selection)

Recordings under the direction of Hans Thamm

  • J. S. Bach Cantatas BWV 110, 17, Cantate 1961/1996
  • J. S. Bach Cantatas BWV 131, 137, 190, Electrola / Rondeau
  • J. S. Bach, Motets BWV 226, BWV 227, Ariola / EUR Disc 1960
  • Dietrich Buxtehude, Missa Brevis and cantatas, SDG 1962
  • The Windsbacher boys' choir in the Munich Cathedral, AKG
  • The Windsbacher boys' choir in the Nuremberg Lorenz Church, AKG
  • For double motets of Old Masters, Columbia
  • Schütz, Historia birth of Christ, Columbia 1964
  • Sing to the Lord a new song, AKG 2006

Recordings under the direction of Karl -Friedrich Beringer

  • All pleasure and joy, Rondeau 1983/2000
  • On bright days, Bellaphon 1984
  • C.F.E Bach, St. Matthew Passion, Rondeau
  • Choral Music in the 20th century, Rondeau 2001
  • J. S. Bach, Motets BWV 225-230, Rondeau / Bellaphon 1981
  • J. S. Bach, St. John Passion, Bayer Records 1998
  • J. S. Bach, Magnificat in D major, BWV 243 cantatas, 225, 229, 227, Rondeau 1992
  • J. S. Bach, Mass in B Minor, Haenssler Classic 1994
  • J. S. Bach Cantatas BWV 34, 93, 1000 Rondeau 2000
  • J. S. Bach Cantatas BWV 30, 19, Bayer Records 1990
  • J. S. Bach, Christmas Oratorio, Warner Classics 1994
  • Brahms Requiem, Sony Classical, 2002
  • Choral music from early Baroque to Late Romantic, Rondeau
  • German folk songs, Sony Classical, 2010
  • A little tune, Rondeau 2002
  • No more beautiful country, folk songs, Rondeau 1982
  • Mendelssohn, Elijah, Sony Classical, 2008
  • Mendelssohn, hymn, Haenssler Classic 1996
  • Motets, Kaminski, Kodály, Pepping, Duffe, Bruckner, Rondeau 1979
  • Mozart Requiem Sony Classical 2009
  • Now would be welcome, Herre Christian, Sony Classical, 2001
  • Psallite, sings and sounds, Rondeau 2003
  • Schubert, fair -flat major, Sony Classical, 2010
  • Schütz / Gabrieli, Rondeau 1983
  • Schumann / Brahms, Gypsy life, gypsy songs, Bayer Records 1989
  • Stravinsky, Symphony of Psalms, Rondeau 2001
  • From Bach to Ellington, 1999, Rondeau

Ensembles former Windsbacher

  • Carus Quintet ( a cappella quintet )
  • Dufay Ensemble
  • Harmonia Vocalis ( a cappella quintet )
  • Vocanta (A cappella )
  • Viva Voce, vocal ensemble

Well-known former Windsbacher Choir

  • Yosemeh Adjei, counter-tenor and trumpeter
  • Rainer Bertram, pop singer and actor
  • Klaus Bucka, choirmaster and composer
  • Thomas Fleischmann, sports journalist and television presenter
  • Uli Fuchs, Photographer
  • Reiner Geißdörfer, religion teacher and concert singer, tenor
  • Wolfgang Gsell Meier, blues musicians
  • Charly Hopp, musician, horn player
  • Tobias Lehner, painter and graphic artist
  • Matthias Lutze, concert and opera singer, bass - baritone
  • Clemens Nicol, radio speaker, speaker Overcoat
  • Philipp Meier Höfer, concert and opera singer, bass
  • Mathis Mootz ( Panacea ), musician, DJ
  • Sebastian Myrus, publishers, concert and opera singer, baritone
  • Christian Rathgeber, concert and opera singer, tenor
  • Felix Rathgeber, concert and opera singer, bass
  • Tobias Rathgeber, opera singers, tenor
  • Michael Riedel, organist
  • Peter Beautiful, concert and opera singer, baritone
  • Michael Schanze, pop singer, author, actor, television presenter
  • Marco Schmädicke, musicians
  • Martin Schmidt, politicians
  • Wolfgang schmuck, musicians, concert organizer
  • Uwe Ungerer, musician, composer
  • Willi Weglehner, writer
  • Oliver Weidinger, opera, recital and concert singer, baritone
  • Tobey Wilson, tenor, entertainers
  • Christian Zenker, concert and opera singer, tenor
Range (music) Dresdner Kreuzchor Bachwoche Ansbach Karl Richter (conductor) Karl-Friedrich Beringer Singing Let the Peoples Sing Bayerischer Poetentaler Friedrich-Baur-Preis
826018
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