OUR STORY

Quality, not quantity

The idea to form a choir for our children to promote German music, culture and language through singing at events came from our Honorary Consul Prof. Dr. Michael Rosemann in 2015. But how to do it? We needed a conductor, some good programme ideas, and an event date.

Luckily, our Brisbane German Week was missing a colourful and sonorous opening to the National Day of German Unity on 3 October each year. We even had some ideas and wishes about what we wanted to hear in the performance.

Now we had found a date. But who would conduct the choir?

Once again, luck was on our side. We asked Dr Ruth Schwarzenböck, who came from Germany where she had conducted a choir. She immediately agreed. So in 2019 we finally had our first German Youth Choir Brisbane performing at Unification Day.

Times change and Ruth had to decide to return to Munich with her Brisbane-born husband and two wonderful children.

That was the moment we thought we had lost the choir and had to close it down. That was in March 2023. What we did not know then was that we would be lucky again.

Our current new choir director, Beatrice Klepper, arrived in Brisbane at the end of March with her family from Munich to work in early childhood education. Ruth did not know Beatrice and Beatrice did not know anything about the choir or Ruth. What a lovely coincidence!

This is where the story gets even more interesting. Beatrice's husband, Ralf Klepper, is the founder and director of the very first AustraliaWeek festival in Munich (October 2022). Ruth heard about it and called him to offer her help. While on Zoom with Ralf discussing how to introduce Ruth to the other members of the AustraliaWeek organising committee, Ruth mentioned the choir and how sad she was to leave it without a conductor. Ralf called Beatrice to come down from the first floor to listen to what Ruth was saying about a German youth choir in Brisbane. And so Ruth and Bea met. After listening to Ruth, Bea spontaneously agreed to take over the choir as artistic director and conductor.

But there was no more choir because it was closed! It was Clauida Luettringshaus from the German Consulate in Brisbane who started working hard to revive the choir. With the help of some parents and teachers, a first rehearsal was held at the end of April with only three singers. Claudia and Beatrice's daughter joined the first few rehearsals. But Beatrice did not give up. Instead, she brought so much enthusiasm and professional vocal training to the place that the choir grew to nine young singers, trained to sing perfectly in tune, with correct German and amazing stage presence. Four young and talented musicians from the Youth Orchestras Queensland joined in and added a special sparkle to the event. It was a resounding success!

Now, in 2024, we have started with eight children and hope to continue to grow. We also want to keep the choir going throughout the year. Performances at various occasions and venues are being considered to make it much more sustainable and attractive. This is possible thanks to our supporters, the German Consulate in Brisbane, Cr. Cunningham, the Coorparoo Ward and the new choir management support provided by SuonaVoce Int.

Article by

Ralf Klepper and Claudia Luettringshaus

25 May 2024

Photos courtesy of Brisbane German Week

Unification Day 2022

Beatrice Klepper

Ruth

Schwarzenböck

Unify Day 2021

Unification Day2023

People and culture

Wenn einer aus seiner Seele singt, heilt er zugleich seine innere Welt. Wenn viele aus ihrer Seele singen und eins sind in der Musik, heilen sie zugleich auch die äußere Welt.

When someone sings from their soul, they heal their inner world at the same time. When many sing from their souls and are one in music, they also heal the outer world.

Yehudi Menuhin