Choir Festivals | Orchestra Festivals

"Finns and Italians, Poles and Greeks, the Irish and Spaniards - the 3rd International Choir Festival in Krakow gathered singers of many nationalities, including also Städtischer Musikverein Lippstadt. Communication was not a problem because all of these singers shared one common language: the language of music. Motets and folk songs, cantatas and catchy songs - the musical range of styles that the European choirs brought with them was as varied as the languages in which these pieces were sung. Already the grand opening concert of the festival in one of the most beautiful churches of Cracow, the St.-Peter and Paul Church, was an impressive experience for both the participants and the audience. The two songs performed at the very beginning by the choir from Lippstadt, headed by Burkhard A. Schmitt, gave shivers of excitement to many choir members, caused both by the wonderful acoustics of the Baroque building and the fact that so many people of different backgrounds made music together. The choir opened also the first of three festival evening concerts in the concert hall of the Cracow Music Academy. During the concerts, about 50 singers presented a wide range of their skills. The pieces which they presented to the Crakow audience included the classics of choral music, such as "Locus iste" by Anton Bruckner and the "Evening Song (Abendlied)" by Josef Rheinberger, as well as modern pieces such as "When the Stars fall" by Canadian composer Stephen Hatfield. The hosts responded particularly enthusiastic to the closing performance of "Cantus gloriosus" by  Polish composer Józef Swider. After their successful performances, on the same and on the following night, the choir members had the opportunity to enjoy many and varied encounters with the singers of other participating choirs. When they were not singing, the participants of the festival compensated the lacking foreign language skills with body language and gestures. This, however, did not harm the high-spirited atmosphere of the festival, which was also present during common dinners. Singing accompanied even common returns to the hotel: at a late hour, in the joyful atmosphere of Cracow and its cultural wealth, the guests from Lippstadt could not resist presenting samples of their repertoire in the middle of the famous old town square. When the members of the choir came back home after this musical experiene, everyone agreed that Cracow is worth every concert tour!"

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