Wetterauer Choir Days: A festival of voices in Butzbach!

Wetterauer Choir Days: A festival of voices in Butzbach!

At the weekend Butzbach was a very special center for choral music. The Wetterau Choir Days, organized by the Hausberg-Wettertal-Sängerbund (HWS), attracted numerous singers and music lovers. The slogan of the event, “Singing society was yesterday, choir is today”, illustrated the modern understanding of choral music, which focuses on the diversity and creativity of current choirs. A total of 18 choirs performed over two days, and the program offered something for every taste.

Some choirs presented themselves under fresh names, such as the “Chorallen” from Bodenrod, “Klangfarben” from Butzbach and the gospel choir “Let It Shine” from Kirch-Göns. Today, choirs are based more on their musical focus than on their geographical location. The chamber choir “cantus firmus Wetterau” under the direction of Michael Muche was able to perform impressive a capella compositions by Bob Chilcott. The harmonious sounds of the choir were very well received by the audience.

Networking and workshops

The HWS not only provided a stage for the performances, but also offered workshops that promoted exchange and networking between the singers. Under the guidance of experienced conductors, singers were able to intensively try out pop and classical choral music, which made the event even more interesting. But not every formation found the space it deserved in the old gymnasium. The stage turned out to be a bit too small for the large “ad hoc” choirs.

The choir directors Andreas Ziegler and Matthias Schmidt were particularly impressed by the vocal qualities of the participants. An outstanding example was the Liederkranz Cleeberg men's choir, whose project choir appealed to a broad audience of people of all ages. This choir is seen as a training ground for the men's choir and was able to present itself as a homogeneous ensemble. HWS chairwoman Heike Leander emphasized that the men's choir is one of the best men's choirs in Germany.

A look outside the box

The Wetterau Choir Days are not a single window in the choir scene. In the European context, choirs are an important cultural institution. The European Choral Association – Europa Cantat promotes not only national but also international exchange projects. The wide range of offerings appeals to choirs, singers, conductors and music teachers from all corners of Europe. The organization ensures that events marked with its logo are of high quality, thereby providing appropriate platforms for participants.

There are also innovative projects such as “Singing Europe”, which aims to explore the artistic, demographic and economic situation of choirs in Europe. Information about the sung repertoire and the time devoted to the choirs is of great importance in promoting and understanding choral culture. This initiative, which is supported by the European Choral Association – Europa Cantat, among others, invites choir directors and singers to share their experiences in a survey.

The Wetterau Choir Days impressively show the potential that lies in choral singing and how important networking within the choral music scene is. Even if the event in Butzbach is only a small part of a larger whole, it illustrates how lively and diverse the musical world of choirs in Europe is.