Ten adult choirs, two youth choirs, a children’s choir, six soloists and the original Barucco ensemble: they all stood together on the stage of the Grafenegg auditorium on Sunday. Under the artistic direction of conductor Heinz Ferlesch, the Matthew Passion was brought to life again – by no means an easy undertaking: “The chorales of the Matthew Passion are the jewels of the work. They are extremely colorful and multi-layered and represent a challenge for every choir,” says Ferlesch.
Nevertheless, numerous singers rose to this challenge – and have done so for quite some time. The concert was planned for 2020, but due to the coronavirus crisis it had to be postponed by three years. The joy of singing has been preserved. “There is a sentence that says: We don’t make ourselves, but the music makes us,” said Ferlesch in an interview with noe.ORF.at. According to the conductor, anyone who has had the experience of making music or singing with other people knows how beautiful and exhilarating it is.
Shared experience of singing in a choir
Manuela Göll also confirms that not only the result plays a role in concert singing, but also the shared experience. She is the managing director of Volkskultur Niederösterreich and director of the choir scene in Lower Austria. “When you sing, everyone just comes together. No matter if big, if small, if old, if young. No matter what religion, no matter what origin,” says Göll. “When you play music together, friendships and appreciation develop. And that’s exactly what choral singing is all about.”
With the participation project, however, one does not only want to inspire the audience, but also to open up the work of the choral scene in Lower Austria. “The approximately 1,400 choirs in the state – from church choirs to project choirs – are an important part of our cultural expressiveness,” says Göll.
Choir initiative “Austria sings again”
Incidentally, the anniversary concert of the Lower Austrian choir scene took place under the motto “Austria sings again”. This is a joint choir initiative of the Austrian Choral Association and the ORF.
Grafenegg has shown that the people of Lower Austria are singing again – and they love it. “I’m touched by music in a way I’ve never felt before. I can express myself through music in a way that I often can’t do with words,” said Leon Feichter in an interview with noe.ORF.at. He is part of the State Youth Choir of Lower Austria. “When you sing in a choir, you can develop yourself without negative pressure, but with responsibility, and contribute to a larger overall picture,” adds Feichter. But not only that: numerous friendships and acquaintances were made in the choir. “They will still be important to me when I’m 80.”
Musicians form a common body of sound
Ernst Süss, a member of the Cantus Vivendi, also enjoys the community, but also the feeling of singing. “When you feel yourself – the body, the hum, the resonance – it connects with the others to form a large body of sound. It’s just indescribable,” says Suess.
For Leon Feichter, the Matthew Passion was a “firework display of all emotions”. Maria Stephelbauer, singer in the Haag choir, describes another feeling. “It’s a bit humbling to be involved in such a big project and also to hear the story of the passion. I felt so carried through the whole piece by the music and the choir,” says Stephelbauer.
However, the happiness of the musicians does not only remain with them. “Each piece has its own atmosphere. The nice thing is that you can always share it with others. Not just on stage with the musicians, but also with the audience,” Süss concludes. Sharing with the audience also seems to have worked. After the concert, the performers were rewarded with a standing ovation.