“Bohemian shepherd’s mass” in lonnerstadt and hochstadt

It is difficult to decide which is more beautiful, more impressive, more heart-warming: when fife and clarinets delicately unite to bury the child in the manger, or when the instruments drop into tutti in praise of god. Rude and full of devotion is both.

The listeners in the lonnerstadt saint oswald church were treated to a very special musical experience on sunday morning. Gunter M. Weinkauf, musician from lonnerstadt, chairman of the hochstadt town band and choir director, performed the "bohmische hirtenmesse" with the lonnerstadt singing club and the accompaniment of the town band by jakub jan ryba (1765-1815) on. A mighty work and the most famous composition by the bohemian contemporary of mozart, who also composed many oratorios, symphonies, sacred songs, and other works.

His "shepherd"s mass was first performed on saint"s eve 1796. In the czech republic is the "rybovka today very well known and an integral part of the christmas season. The mass, actually a nativity play, tells the christmas story from the point of view of the shepherds and accompanies them in several parts on their way to bethlehem. In its texts, the shepherd"s mass relies on the powerful words of simple people. This is accompanied by jubilant melodies, inspired by folk songs and dancing, so that the work – despite or perhaps because of its simplicity – is particularly heartwarming.

Trumpets like fanfares
"Master, on! Look up", at the beginning of the kyrie, the boy calls out to his sleeping lord. He had discovered the shining light in the sky. The trumpets sound like fanfares as the shepherds set out for bethlehem.

For gunter M. It was not easy for weinkauf to perform this work with his singers and the city band. For ryba had written his mass in the instrumentation with strings. Weinkauf had to rewrite the whole thing for blaser. The entire part of the strings had to be taken over by the clarinets. Here was also the problem: "you have to implement it in such a way that the wind players can also catch their breath sometimes. Otherwise they turn blue and fall over", explain wine purchase. Streicher, on the other hand, could simply "fiddle through".

The text must have caused the singers from lonnerstadt few problems. It is simple, close to nature and the people, sometimes even poetic. The impressive choir mastered its task brilliantly.
The third part in this very special service was given by pastor martin muller. With contemplative and pictorial words he led the visitors to the very core of the christmas story. Joy should be full of sound, says muller. According to the text of the mass, let the "master" sleep. It raises the question of "whether we are also sleeping, pregnant people".

Are we trapped in our habits and do not expect anything new?? Not from us, not from man, not from god!" The bohemian shepherd's mass will be played on the second day of christmas, 26. December, at 10.30 o'clock in the city parish church hochstadt once again performed.