STIMMBOGEN 2002

Stimmbogen, meaning a vocal connection, is a joint project between the Wiener Sängerknaben and the Austrian Ministry of Education for everybody in Austria, but mainly school children. Stimmbogen events will take place all over Austria between 4th October 2002 and 23 May 2003. Under the motto of "the whole of Austria sings", this final day will be the "Day of Singing" as a great finale takes place in every provincial capital.

Events

Stimmbogen begins on Friday 4th October 2002 with three events in Vienna. The first is the Choir Garden Festival (10.00 - 16.00) at the home of the Wiener Sängerknaben, in the Augartenpalais. Participants can sing songs with the choristers, listen to performances, build instruments and paint music.

A Singers' Corner, based on London's Speaker's Corner is also planned for the Stephansplatz, next to St Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. Singers are invited to delight passers-by (or scare them!) from 10.00 - 16.00. The stage is open to everyone and any money raised at the event will go towards a fund for the cathedral.

The final event will be a concert in Vienna's Gasometer (17.00 - 18.30). Gerald Wirth will be compére for the evening and together with the Wiener Sängerknaben, Hubert von Goisern and as many children and singing-enthused people as possible, there will be a brilliant concert.

Hubert von Goisern and the Stimmbogen:

"Music in general and singing especially is probably numbered among the most delightful, uplifting and intoxicating achievements of being human. Therefore I am delighted with every initiative which brings music, accord and harmony into our lives, because my in my opinion a lot of music is consumed and listened to (often not even voluntarily), however much too little is sung. With Stimmbogen, the Wiener Sängerknaben have brought a wonderful project to life. For that reason and because I like to work with children, I am already looking forward to the collaboration. A wonderful thought that in the framework of the O-Ton concert on 4th October, about 2000 young people are meeting in an active singing community, in order to sing together with the Wiener Sängerknaben from different cultural circles and make the Wiener Gasometer sound. I look forward to my part in this event!"

On 4th October the Wiener Sängerknaben set a great musical impulse, which should also go on stretching over the whole country like an endless vocal arch: about 2000 young choir singers from all over Austria were invited to sing together in Vienna, in order to experience the prelude event of the Stimmbogen project.

Aside from a visit to the Augartenpalais, the home of the Wiener Sängerknaben, there was also the possibility to gain attention at the so-called "Singers' Corner" at Stephansplatz. The highpoint was a multi-voiced "O-Ton" concert in the new concert hall of the Vienna Gasometer B, where everyone together with the Wiener Sängerknaben and their star guest Hubert von Goisern enjoyed the many folk songs from the different cultures.

... At 16.00 we were called onto the bus again. Now we waited for the highpoint of the day. A concert from the Wiener Sängerknaben together with surprise guest Hubert von Goisern in the Gasometer concert hall. The Federal Minister welcomed us very warmly. Everyone could sing along. There were songs from around the whole world, from the Native Americans, from the Arabs, one from India, English songs, old songs and modern. The folk songs with Hubert von Goisern were especially good. He even tried to teach us a yodel, but that was not so easy! The atmosphere was super and it was a great experience, to be able to sing together with such famous singers ...