BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HAYDN (Satis Shroff, Kappel-Black Forest)

The Männergesangsverein ‚Liederkranz’ Kappel staged a spiritual concert conducted by Johannes Söllner ‘Heaven and Haydn’ with the cooperation of the Chorvereinigung Hochdorf which was conducted by Rainer Hoffmann. The solists were: Stephanie Dauer (Cello), Andrea Kampe (Orgel) and Christian Kohler also Orgel.

The mixed choir from Hochdorf was already onstage and sang ‘Shalom Chaverim’ after the last notes of the cello played by Stafanie Dauer has ceased. The men’s chor then sang the same verse as they approached the stage. It was a choral duet with the sad and sorrowful wailing of the cello which resounded in the hall of St. Peter and Paul. It was a spiritual delight to listen to the two choirs reaching a crescendo.

The Chorvereinigung Hochdorf MGV Kappel a traditional spiritual songs from the mass ‘Hier liegt deiner Majestät’ by Michael Haydn: Gloria, Credo, Zur Opferung and Zur Wandlung sung with pathosand gusto as the song demanded. The audience had been requested not to applause after every piece and save it for the finale.

Andreas Kumpe played choral introduction ‘Schmück dich, o liebe Seele’ BWV 654 by Johann Sebastian Bach followed by the Chorvereinigung Hochdorf with ‘Herzekrank’ composed by Stefan Kalmer and ‘Im Grünen’ by Felix Mendelsohn Bartholdy.

The ladies of the Hochdorf choir gave a lively performance wearing evening costumes and their typical orange chiffon shawls.

Stephanie Dauer delighted us with her Prelude from Suite in G-major BWV 1007 composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. The deep tone of the cello filled the room ranging from deep bass to the higher tones played with feeling by Stephanie.

We men from the MGV Kappel sang ‘Ich bete an die Macht der Liebe’ composed by Dimitri Bortniansky
And arranged by Heinrich Poos, ‚So nimmt denn meine Hände’ composed by Friedrich Silcher, with arrangement by Johannes Söllner, a young guy who likes to keep his head bald and who has what er Germans call ‘Pfiff.’ He also has a wonderful sense of humour.

Christian Kohler did an improvisation on ‘So nimm denn meine Hände’ which means: so take my hands then.

The Chorvereinigung Hochdorf sang Uti var hage composed by Hugo Alfven, Sommerpsalm by Waldemar Ahlen and the German version of ‚Irish Blessing’ James E. Moore. Wonderful renderings. Christian Kohler did his own interpretation of ‘Heaven is a Wonderful Place’ which was actually meant as a musical premonition for the vocalists.

The MGV Kappel sang their pepped-op version of ‘Heaven is a Wonderful Place’ arrangement by Wolfgang Koperski. Then came the German version of The Legend of Babylon (Farian/Dowe/Reyam/Mc Naughton) arrangement by Peter Flammen.

The finale was the Irish Blessing (Irischer Segenswünsch) a traditional song sung together by the Chorveinigung Hochdorf & MGV Kappel ‚Liederkranz’ and arrangement by Felix Rosskopp, the former conductor of MGV Kappel who now works in Offenburg.

The MGV ‘Liederkranz’ will soon be presenting a programme for ‘young and old’ and want to do a musical together with the voices of the men’s and children’s choir. I think bringing young and elderly people together is a wonderful idea, not only during the musical in the not-too-distant-future but also as a resource for the existing men’s choir. It is hoped that the parents of the young singers will also take interest in the activities of the MGV Kappel and function as active members n the verein or as well-wishers, supporters and passive members.

A thunderous applause followed and it was a good feeling, a feeling of having touched the hearts of the people of Kappel, Littenweiler, Buchenbach, Kirchzarten and the whole Dreisam Valley.

Songs (Lieder as we say in German), have been written by most German poets and there are many folk songs or Volkslieder since the 16th century onwards, with the difference that the lyricists are unknown. A special form is the musical Lied of the 19th and early 20 century. It was Mozart who wrote the first examples. In addition to many individual songs, Beethoven composed the first song-cycle, Liederzyklus, with the title: An die ferne Geliebte. Songs for the distant lover. However, it was Schubert who used melody, modulation and accompaniment to draw out the full meaning of poems. Schubert wrote more than 600 Lieder and two song-cycles: Die schöne Müllerin and Die Winterreise.