Germany's Famed Windsbacher Knabenchor Makes So Cal Debut Oct. 26

Los Angeles Children’s Chorus (LACC), building upon its long history of presenting other children’s choirs from the U.S. and abroad, hosts the highly anticipated Southern California debut of the illustrious German boys and mens choir Windsbacher Knabenchor on Sunday, October 26, 2014, at Pasadena Presbyterian Church.

The exchange is part of Windsbacher’s 13-day U.S. tour, its first in 23 years, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of fall of the Berlin Wall and Germany’s subsequent reunification.

Noted for its distinctive soaring sound and invigorating performances, the choir, which hails from the town of Windsbacher, Germany, is under the direction of Martin Lehman.

The concert also features LACC’s acclaimed Concert Choir and Young Men’s Ensemble. The three choirs perform separately, then combine forces for the finale to sing James Erb’s moving arrangement of Shenandoah. Last summer, LACC’s Concert Choir participated in a workshop and performance with Windsbacher Knabenchor while touring Germany.

Windsbacher Knabenchor’s broad repertoire spans the Baroque era to contemporary music, but for the performance, the choir performs mostly German a cappella sacred and secular music, selecting from such works as Pachelbel’s Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, Bach’s Ich Lasse Dich Nicht, and Bruckner’s Os justi, as well as German “hiking songs,” love songs and madrigals, among others.

LACC’s Concert Choir, conducted by Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson, highlights the season’s theme Celebrating American Song with performances of Copland’s Ching-a-ring chaw; a haunting setting of the prayer Ave Maria sung in Spanish composed by Bay Area artist, Henry Mollicone; and Guide Me as I Walk Along, a work sung by the Cherokee Nation during their displacement on the Trail of Tears, which the chorus will sing in Cherokee.

LACC’s Young Men’s Ensemble, directed by Dr. Steven Kronauer, adds a Germanic touch performing such works as Bach’s Der Herr segne Euch, and Brahms’ Lass Dich nur nichts nicht dauren, as well as Jonah by renowned American composer Henry Leck.

“We are pleased to host this international choral exchange and welcome the esteemed Windsbacher Knabenchor to Southern California for the first time,” says LACC Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson. “These amazingly talented boys have captivated audiences around the globe.”

Founded in 1946 by Hans Thamm, Windsbacher Knabenchor, a “cultural ambassador“ of Nürnberg’s Metropolitan Region and a “trademark” of Franconia, acheived national and international renown under his successor, Karl-Friedrich Beringer. In 2012, Martin Lehmann was named conductor of the choir.

Hailed for its musicality, precision and purity of sound, it regularly performs with such leading orchestras as the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the Bamberger Symphoniker and the Akademie füralte Musik Berlin, and has appeared at such music festivals as the Rheingau Musikfestiva and the Bachwoche Ansbach.

The concert is free (suggested donation $10) and reservations are not required. Pasadena Presbyterian Church is located at 585 East Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101. For more information about the concert and LACC, please call (626) 793-4321 or visit www.lachildrenschorus.org.