Stuttgarter Hymnus-Chorknaben
Encyclopedia
In 1900 the Stuttgart Hymnus Boys' choir
(German: Stuttgarter Hymnus-Chorknaben) was initiated by the Swabia
n entrepreneur
Paul von Lechler.
His models were the Thomanerchor
Leipzig and the Dresdner Kreuzchor
. After the re-foundation in 1946 and under the leadership of Professor
Gerhard Wilhelm, who conducted the choir until 1987, the Hymnus Boys' Choir soon reached an artistic level, that was recognized far beyond the country borders. Then Eckhard Weyand was in charge until 1992.
From 1992 until 2010 the choir was led and conducted by church music
director Hanns-Friedrich Kunz, who retired in March 2010. Since then the choir has been led by Rainer Johannes Homburg. Even though churches and concert halls in Baden-Württemberg
are the centre of their public appearances, the choir was on successful concert tours through Germany
and Europe
.
The Stuttgart Hymnus Boys' Choir has a broad repertoire of spiritual vocal music, especially music by Johann Sebastian Bach
and other baroque
composer
s. Parallel to the concerts the musical-liturgical arrangements of masses
have a special meaning.
About 170 boys and 30 young men come together to rehearse in Stuttgart
weekly, because the choir does not have a boarding school
. The singers live with their parents and go to school in their hometowns.
The boys start to learn reading easy notes and dealing with musical basics at an age of seven or eight years. Later, usually after three years, the boys are introduced to the literature of the concert choir and start to fully participate in concerts. After the voice has changed, the boys can sing in the men's choir as tenor
s or basses
. Skilled voice artists and teachers support both boys and men in single voice lessons.
Boys' choir
A boys' choir is a choir primarily made up of choirboys who have yet to begin puberty or are in the early to middle stages of puberty and so retain their more highly pitched childhood voice type...
(German: Stuttgarter Hymnus-Chorknaben) was initiated by the Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
n entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
Paul von Lechler.
His models were the Thomanerchor
Thomanerchor
The Thomanerchor is a boys' choir in Leipzig, Germany. The choir was founded in 1212. At present, the choir consists of 92 boys from 9 to 18 years of age...
Leipzig and the Dresdner Kreuzchor
Dresdner Kreuzchor
The Dresdner Kreuzchor is the boys' choir of the Kreuzkirche in Dresden. It has a seven century history. Today the choir has about 150 members from the age of 9-19 from Dresden and the surrounding region. Most of the boys live in a boarding school. The Choir Boys are also called "Kruzianer". The...
. After the re-foundation in 1946 and under the leadership of Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
Gerhard Wilhelm, who conducted the choir until 1987, the Hymnus Boys' Choir soon reached an artistic level, that was recognized far beyond the country borders. Then Eckhard Weyand was in charge until 1992.
From 1992 until 2010 the choir was led and conducted by church music
Church music
Church music may be defined as music written for performance in church, or any musical setting of ecclestiacal liturgy, or music set to words expressing propositions of a sacred nature, such as a hymn. This article covers music in the Judaeo-Christian tradition. For sacred music outside this...
director Hanns-Friedrich Kunz, who retired in March 2010. Since then the choir has been led by Rainer Johannes Homburg. Even though churches and concert halls in Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
are the centre of their public appearances, the choir was on successful concert tours through Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
The Stuttgart Hymnus Boys' Choir has a broad repertoire of spiritual vocal music, especially music by Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
and other baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
s. Parallel to the concerts the musical-liturgical arrangements of masses
Mass (music)
The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
have a special meaning.
About 170 boys and 30 young men come together to rehearse in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
weekly, because the choir does not have a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
. The singers live with their parents and go to school in their hometowns.
The boys start to learn reading easy notes and dealing with musical basics at an age of seven or eight years. Later, usually after three years, the boys are introduced to the literature of the concert choir and start to fully participate in concerts. After the voice has changed, the boys can sing in the men's choir as tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
s or basses
Bass (voice type)
A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
. Skilled voice artists and teachers support both boys and men in single voice lessons.