Introduction
Sophie Scholl and the White Rose
Hans and Sophie Scholl are amongst the most famous personalities in Germany. Nearly every town has a Scholl Square, a Geschwister Scholl School, or a Sophie Scholl Street. Their lives are a set part of the German history curriculum in every school and every year new books, documentaries and films about their lives are published.
May 9, 2021, would have been Sophie Scholl´s 100th birthday.
Hans and Sophie Scholl were the founders of the White Rose resistance group in Nazi Germany.
For this concert the German Choir of London commissioned a play that accompanies J. S. Bach´s St Matthew Passion to highlight the story of Sophie Scholl, executed by the Gestapo in 1943 for opposing Hitler with a campaign of non-violence during the Second World War.
The concert will highlight the story of Sophie, confined in Stadelheim Prison, Munich in the period before her death, through an original libretto created by playwright Ross McGregor, by combining letters, newsletter articles, the White Rose leaflets and court protocols with the music of J. S. Bach´s St Mathew Passion.
Learn more about Sophie Scholl and the White Rose here
Part 1
Chorus
Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen,
Sehet – Wen? – den Bräutigam,
Seht ihn – Wie? – als wie ein Lamm!
Sehet, – Was? – seht die Geduld,
Seht – Wohin? – auf unsre Schuld;
Sehet ihn aus Lieb und Huld
Holz zum Kreuze selber tragen!
Come, you daughters, help me to lament,
See-Whom ? -the bridegroom,
See him- How ? -like a lamb!
See – What? -see his patience,
See – Where ? – our guilt;
See how from love and graceHe bears the wood of the cross himself!
Choral
Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen,
Dass man ein solch scharf Urteil hat gesprochen?
Was ist die Schuld, in was für Missetaten bist du geraten?
Jesus, most dear to my heart, what have you done wrong,
So that such a harsh judgement is pronounced?
What is your guilt, in what sort of wrongdoing have you been caught?
Recitativo
Du lieber Heiland du,
Wenn deine Jünger töricht streiten,
Dass dieses fromme Weib mit Salben deinen Leib
Zum Grabe will bereiten,
So lasse mir inzwischen zu,
Von meiner Augen Tränenflüssen
Ein Wasser auf dein Haupt zu gießen!
You, dear saviour, you
When your disciples foolishly quarrel
Because this good woman
With salve your body
Wants to prepare for the tomb,
Then let me meanwhile
With floods of tears from my eyes
Pour water on your head!
Aria
Buß und Reu
Knirscht das Sündenherz entzwei,
Dass die Tropfen meiner Zähren
Angenehme Spezerei,
Treuer Jesu, dir gebären.
Penance and remorse
Grind my sinful heart in two,
So the drops of my tears
May produce pleasing spices for you, faithful Jesus.
Aria
Blute nur, du liebes Herz!
Ach! ein Kind, das du erzogen,
Das an deiner Brust gesogen,
Droht den Pfleger zu ermorden,
Denn es ist zur Schlange worden.
Bleed now, loving heart!
Ah! A child, whom you reared,
That sucked at your breast,
Is threatening to murder its guardian
For that child has become a serpent.
Choral
Ich bin’s, ich sollte büßen,
An Händen und an Füßen
Gebunden in der Höll.
Die Geißeln und die Banden
Und was du ausgestanden,
Das hat verdienet meine Seel.
I am the one, I should pay for this,
With hands and feet bound in hell.
The scourges and the bonds
And what you endured –
My soul has deserved that.
Recitativo
Wiewohl mein Herz in Tränen schwimmt,
Dass Jesus von mir Abschied nimmt,
So macht mich doch sein Testament erfreut:
Sein Fleisch und Blut, o Kostbarkeit,
Vermacht er mir in meine Hände.
Wie er es auf der Welt mit denen Seinen
Nicht böse können meinen,
So liebt er sie bis an das Ende.
Although my heart swims in tears,
Since Jesus takes his leave from me,
Yet his Testament makes me rejoice:
His own flesh and blood -what expense-
He bequeaths to me in my hands
Just as in the world towards those who are his own
He can intend no evil,
So he loves them to the end.
Aria
Ich will dir mein Herze schenken,
Senke dich, mein Heil, hinein!
Ich will mich in dir versenken;
Ist dir gleich die Welt zu klein,
Ei, so sollst du mir allein
Mehr als Welt und Himmel sein. I shall give my heart to you,
Come down, my salvation,
And bury yourself within it!
I shall bury myself in you;
If the world is too small for you
Ah, then you alone to me shall
Be more than the world and heaven
Choral
Erkenne mich, mein Hüter,
Mein Hirte, nimm mich an!
Von dir, Quell aller Güter,
Ist mir viel Guts getan.
Dein Mund hat mich gelabet
Mit Milch und süßer Kost,
Dein Geist hat mich begabet
Mit mancher Himmelslust.
Recognise me, my guardian,
My Shepherd, accept me!
From you, source of all goodness
Much good has been done for me.
Your mouth has refreshed me
With milk and sweet food,
Your spirit has endowed me
With many heavenly delights.
Choral
Ich will hier bei dir stehen;
Verachte mich doch nicht!
Von dir will ich nicht gehen,
Wenn dir dein Herze bricht.
Wenn dein Herz wird erblassen
Im letzten Todesstoß,
Alsdenn will ich dich fassen
In meinen Arm und Schoß.
I shall stand here beside you;
But do not despise me!
I shall not go from you,
When your heart breaks.
When your heart becomes pale
In the last death blow
Then I shall embrace you
In my arms and bosom.
Recitativo and Chorus
O Schmerz!
Hier zittert das gequälte Herz;
Wie sinkt es hin, wie bleicht sein Angesicht! Was ist die Ursach aller solcher Plagen?
Der Richter führt ihn vor Gericht.
Da ist kein Trost, kein Helfer nicht. Ach! meine Sünden haben dich geschlagen; Er leidet alle Höllenqualen,
Er soll vor fremden Raub bezahlen. Ich, ach Herr Jesu, habe dies verschuldet was du erduldet. Ach, könnte meine Liebe dir,
Mein Heil, dein Zittern und dein Zagen
Vermindern oder helfen tragen,
Wie gerne blieb ich hier!
O sorrow!
Here trembles his afflicted heart;
How it sinks down, how pale his face! What is the cause of such torments? The judge leads him to judgement.There is no comfort, no help at all. Ah! my sins have struck you;
He suffers all the torments of hell,
He must pay for the robbery of others. I, ah Lord Jesus, have deserved this what you are suffering. Ah, if only for you my love could,
My salvation, lessen your trembling and your discouragement or help you to bear them, how willingly I would remain here!
Aria and Chorus
Ich will bei meinem Jesu wachen,
So schlafen unsre Sünden ein.
Meinen Tod büßet seine Seelennot;
Sein Trauren machet mich voll Freuden.
Drum muss uns sein verdienstlich Leiden
Recht bitter und doch süße sein.
I shall keep watch by my Jesus,
Then our sins go to sleep.
For my death atonement is made by his soul’s distress;
His grieving makes me full of joy.
For this reason to us his suffering which benefits us
Must be truly bitter and yet sweet.
Choral
Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit,
Sein Will, der ist der beste,
Zu helfen den’n er ist bereit,
Die an ihn gläuben feste.
Er hilft aus Not, der fromme Gott,
Und züchtiget mit Maßen.
Wer Gott vertraut, fest auf ihn baut,
Den will er nicht verlassen.
May what my God wills happen always
His will is what is best,
For he is ready to help those
Who believe firmly in him.
He helps them in their distress, the righteous God,
And chastises in measure.
The person who trusts God, builds firmly on him, he will not abandon.
Chorus
Sind Blitze, sind Donner in Wolken verschwunden?
Eröffne den feurigen Abgrund, o Hölle,
Zertrümmre, verderbe, verschlinge, zerschelle mit plötzlicher Wut
Den falschen Verräter, das mörd‘rische Blut!
Have lightning, has thunder vanished in the clouds?
Open your fiery abyss, O Hell,
Smash, destroy, swallow up, dashed to pieces with sudden fury
The false betrayer, the murderous blood!
Choral
O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß,
Darum Christus seins Vaters Schoß
Äußert und kam auf Erden;
Von einer Jungfrau rein und zart
Für uns er hie geboren ward,
Er wollt der Mittler werden.
Den Toten er das Leben gab
Und legt darbei all Krankheit ab,
Bis sich die Zeit herdrange,
Dass er für uns geopfert würd,
Trüg unsrer Sünden schwere Bürd
Wohl an dem Kreuze lange.
Oh man, bewail your great sin,
For this Christ from his father’s bosom
Went forth and came to earth
Of a virgin pure and gentle
He was born here for us,
He was willing to become the mediator
To the dead he gave life
And in this way put aside all illness
Until it came to the time
That he would be sacrificed for us,
bear the heavy burden of our sins
For a long time indeed on the cross.
INTERVAL 20 minutes
Refreshments will be sold in the retroquire.
Please do not take any drinks with you to your seat. Thank you.
Part 2
Choral
Mir hat die Welt trüglich gericht’
Mit Lügen und mit falschem G’dicht,
Viel Netz und heimlich Stricke.
Herr, nimm mein wahr in dieser G’fahr,
B’hüt mich für falschen Tücken!
I have been judged deceitfully by the world
With lies and with false statements,
With nets and secret snares.
Lord, guard me in this danger,
Protect me from false deceit!
Recitativo
Mein Jesus schweigt
Zu falschen Lügen stille,
Um uns damit zu zeigen,
Dass sein Erbarmens voller Wille
Vor uns zum Leiden sei geneigt,
Und dass wir in dergleichen Pein
Ihm sollen ähnlich sein
Und in Verfolgung stille schweigen.
My Jesus is silent
At false lies
To show us in this way
That his merciful will
Is inclined to suffering for our sake
And that we in such pain
Should be like him
And in persecution remain silent.
Aria
Geduld!
Wenn mich falsche Zungen stechen.
Leid ich wider meine Schuld
Schimpf und Spott,
Ei, so mag der liebe Gott
Meines Herzens Unschuld rächen.
Patience!
Even if false tongues stab me.
If I should suffer contrary to my guilt
Abuse and mockery
oh then may dear God
avenge the innocence of my heart.
Chorus
Er ist des Todes schuldig!
He is guilty of death!
Chorus
Weissage uns, Christe, wer ist’s, der dich schlug?
Prophesy to us, Christ, who is it who has struck you?
Choral
Wer hat dich so geschlagen,
Mein Heil, und dich mit Plagen
So übel zugericht’?
Du bist ja nicht ein Sünder
Wie wir und unsre Kinder;
Von Missetaten weißt du nicht.
Who has struck you in this way,
My saviour, and with torments
Treated you so badly?
You are certainly not a sinner
Like us and our children;
Of wrongdoing you know nothing.
Aria
Erbarme dich,
Mein Gott, um meiner Zähren willen!
Schaue hier, Herz und Auge
weint vor dir bitterlich.
Have mercy,
My God, for the sake of my tears!
Look here, my heart and eyes
weep before you bitterly.
Choral
Bin ich gleich von dir gewichen,
Stell ich mich doch wieder ein;
Hat uns doch dein Sohn verglichen
Durch sein’ Angst und Todespein.
Ich verleugne nicht die Schuld;
Aber deine Gnad und Huld
Ist viel größer als die Sünde,
Die ich stets in mir befinde.
Although I have strayed from you,
Yet I turn back once again;
Your son has settled the account for us
Through his anguish and death agony.
I do not deny my guilt;
But your grace and favour
is much greater than the sins
I find constantly in myself.
Aria
Gebt mir meinen Jesum wieder!
Seht, das Geld, den Mörderlohn,
Wirft euch der verlorne Sohn
Zu den Füßen nieder!
Give me back my Jesus!
See, the money, the wages of murder,
Is thrown by the lost son
Down at your feet!
Choral
Befiehl du deine Wege
Und was dein Herze kränkt
Der allertreusten Pflege
Des, der den Himmel lenkt.
Der Wolken, Luft und Winden
Gibt Wege, Lauf und Bahn,
Der wird auch Wege finden,
Da dein Fuß gehen kann.
Commend your way
And what troubles your heart
To the most trustworthy care
Of him who guides the heavens.
He who to the clouds, air and winds
Gives their way, course and track,
Will also find a way
By which your feet can go.
Chorus
Laß ihn kreuzigen!
Let him be crucified!
Choral
Wie wunderbarlich ist doch diese Strafe!
Der gute Hirte leidet für die Schafe,
Die Schuld bezahlt der Herre, der Gerechte, für seine Knechte.
How amazing is this punishment! The good Shepherd suffers for his sheep,
The Lord, the one who is just, pays the penalty for his servants.
Recitativo
Er hat uns allen wohlgetan,
Den Blinden gab er das Gesicht,
Die Lahmen macht er gehend,
Er sagt uns seines Vaters Wort,
Er trieb die Teufel fort,
Betrübte hat er aufgericht’,
Er nahm die Sünder auf und an.
Sonst hat mein Jesus nichts getan.
He has done good to all of us come
To the blind he gave sight
The lame he made able to walk
He told to us his father’s word
He drove out the devils,
He raised up those who are distressed,
He received and accepted sinners
Nothing else has my Jesus done.
Aria
Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben,
Von einer Sünde weiß er nichts.
Dass das ewige Verderben
Und die Strafe des Gerichts
Nicht auf meiner Seele bliebe.
Out of love my saviour is willing to die,
– Of any sin he knows nothing –
So that eternal ruin
And the punishment of judgement
May not remain upon my soul.
Chorus
Laß ihn kreuzigen!
Let him be crucified!
Recitativo
Erbarm es Gott!
Hier steht der Heiland angebunden.
O Geißelung, o Schläg, o Wunden!
Ihr Henker, haltet ein!
Erweichet euch
Der Seelen Schmerz,
Der Anblick solches Jammers nicht?
Ach ja! ihr habt ein Herz,
Das muss der Martersäule gleich
Und noch viel härter sein.
Erbarmt euch, haltet ein!
Have mercy, God!
Here stands the saviour, bound,
O scourging, o blows, o wounds!
You executioners, stop!
Are you not softened by
The soul’s agony,
The sight of such misery?
Ah yes! You have a heart
That must be like the post used for torture
And even far harder still.
Have mercy, stop!
Aria
Können Tränen meiner Wangen
Nichts erlangen,
O, so nehmt mein Herz hinein!
Aber lasst es bei den Fluten,
Wenn die Wunden milde bluten,
Auch die Opferschale sein!
If the tears on my cheeks can
Achieve nothing,
O then take my heart!
But let it for the streams,
As the wounds gently bleed
Also be the sacrificial cup!
Choral
O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden,
Voll Schmerz und voller Hohn,
O Haupt, zu Spott gebunden
Mit einer Dornenkron,
O Haupt, sonst schön gezieret
Mit höchster Ehr und Zier,
Jetzt aber hoch schimpfieret,
Gegrüßet seist du mir!
O head full of blood and wounds,
Full of sorrow and full of scorn,
O head bound in mockery
With a crown of thorns,
O head once beautifully adorned
With greatest honour and adornment,
But now most shamefully mistreated,
Let me greet you!
Du edles Angesichte,
Dafür sonst schrickt und scheut
Das große Weltgerichte,
Wie bist du so bespeit;
Wie bist du so erbleichet!
Wer hat dein Augenlicht,
Dem sonst kein Licht nicht gleichet,
So schändlich zugericht’?
You noble face
Before which at other times shrinks and shies away
The great weight of the world,
How are you spat upon,
How pale you are!
By whom has the light of your eyes
To which at other times no light can be compared,
Been so shamefully treated?
Recitativo
Ja freilich will in uns das Fleisch und Blut
Zum Kreuz gezwungen sein;
Je mehr es unsrer Seele gut,
Je herber geht es ein.
Certainly indeed in us our flesh and blood
Has to be compelled to the cross;
The better it is for our soul.
The more bitter it is for us.
Aria
Komm, süßes Kreuz, so will ich sagen,
Mein Jesu, gib es immer her!
Wird mir mein Leiden einst zu schwer,
So hilfst du mir es selber tragen.
Come sweet cross -this is what I will say -,
My Jesus , give it always to me
If my suffering at any time becomes too heavy,
Then you yourself helped me to bear it.
Choral
Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden,
So scheide nicht von mir,
Wenn ich den Tod soll leiden,
So tritt du denn herfür!
Wenn mir am allerbängsten
Wird um das Herze sein,
So reiß mich aus den Ängsten
Kraft deiner Angst und Pein!
When I one day must depart from here
Then do not depart from me,
When I must suffer death
Then step forward next to me!
When most full of fear
I am in my heart,
Then snatch me from my fears
By the strength of your agony and pain!
Chorus
Wahrlich, dieser ist Gottes Sohn gewesen.
This man really was the son of God.
Recitativo
Am Abend, da es kühle war,
Ward Adams Fallen offenbar;
Am Abend drücket ihn der Heiland nieder.
Am Abend kam die Taube wieder
Und trug ein Ölblatt in dem Munde.
O schöne Zeit! O Abendstunde!
Der Friedensschluss ist nun mit Gott gemacht,
Denn Jesus hat sein Kreuz vollbracht.
Sein Leichnam kömmt zur Ruh,
Ach! liebe Seele, bitte du,
Geh, lasse dir den toten Jesum schenken,
O heilsames, o köstlichs Angedenken!
In the evening, when it was cool,
The fall of Adam was manifest
In the evening the saviour presses down on him;
In the evening the dove returned
And carried an olive branch in its mouth.
O beautiful time! O evening hour!
The peace treaty with God is now made
For Jesus has brought to fulfilment his cross.
His corpse comes to rest,
Ah! Dear soul, pray,
Go, let them give you the dead Jesus,
O salutary, o precious remembrance!
Aria
Mache dich, mein Herze, rein,
Ich will Jesum selbst begraben.
Denn er soll nunmehr in mir
Für und für seine süße Ruhe haben.
Welt, geh aus, lass Jesum ein!
Make yourself pure, my heart
I want to bury Jesus himself within me,
For he now within me
Forever shall have his sweet rest.
World, depart from my heart, let Jesus enter!
Chorus
Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder
Und rufen dir im Grabe zu:
Ruhe sanfte, sanfte ruh!
Ruht, ihr ausgesognen Glieder!
Euer Grab und Leichenstein
Soll dem ängstlichen Gewissen
Ein bequemes Ruhekissen
Und der Seelen Ruhstatt sein.
Höchst vergnügt schlummern da die Augen ein.
We sit down with tears
And call to you in your tomb
Rest gently, gently rest!
Rest, you exhausted limbs!
Your grave and tombstone
For our anguished conscience shall be
A pillow that gives peace and comfort
And the place where our souls find rest.
With the greatest content there our eyes will close in sleep.
Biographies
Barbara Höfling – Musical Director
I believe in the power of music to move people, to create communities beyond perceived borders, to create a better world in the here and now. Music speaks to us in our own language, in our own emotion and this with a clarity and urgency that reaches beyond words. To create a group in harmony, teach them to sing!
I studied violin, singing and conducting at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hanover. Soon afterwards I discovered my passion for choral music. I sang with some of the most amazing choirs and ensembles in the world: RIAS Chamber Choir, BBC Singers, Berlin Radio Choir, Hamburg Radio Choir, Monteverdi Choir, London Voices to name just a few. The experience I gained from that is what I love passing on to singers in my choirs, but also virtually all over the world.
Ross McGregor – Artistic Director
Ross has a BA in English Literature & Creative Writing from Warwick University, and a Masters in Theatre Direction from the UEA.
His directing credits for Arrows & Traps include: Much Ado About Nothing, The Winter’s Tale, Taming Of The Shrew, Titus Andronicus, Anna Karenina, Macbeth, The Gospel According To Philip, Twelfth Night, Othello, Crime & Punishment, Frankenstein, Three Sisters, The White Rose, Gentleman Jack, TARO, One Giant Leap, The Strange Case of Jekyll & Hyde & CHAPLIN: Birth of a Tramp. His other directing credits include The Crucible (National Tour), A Doll’s House (National Tour), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (National Tour), One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (National Tour), Twelfth Night (tour), Love’s Labour’s Lost (tour), Two, Northanger Abbey, Jane Eyre, The Norman Conquests, Private Lives, Blithe Spirit, Wildest Dreams, Witness for the Prosecution, Steel Magnolias, Before I am Lost (Etcetera Theatre) and Persephone (Fourth Monkey).
His writing credits include Frankenstein, The White Rose, Dracula, Gentleman Jack, TARO, One Giant Leap, The Strange Case of Jekyll & Hyde, CHAPLIN: Birth of a Tramp, Talking Gods, HOLST: The Music In The Spheres & PAYNE: The Stars Are Fire.
He is a four-time Off West End Award Nominee and was nominated in 2019 for a Standing Ovation Award by LPT Magazine for Writing & Direction.
Elspeth Piggott (Soprano)
as Sophie Scholl
Elspeth is currently studying with Jane Irwin on the master’s programme at the Royal Northern College of music, where she is highly involved in the early music scene with her ensemble Pandora’s Box. Elspeth caught the early music bug during her undergraduate studies at the University of York, and upon graduating in 2014, she undertook her first professional engagement understudying in Fagiolini’s devastating immersive-theatre project Betrayal, inspired by the infamous life of Carlo Gesualdo.
Always fascinated in the combining of music and drama, she has explored this in opera too, singing First Witch in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (Ryedale Music Festival 2019), Cupid in La Dafne by da Gagliano (Brighton Early Music Festival 2020), and Sirena in Francesca Caccini’s La liberazione di Ruggiero (BREMF 2021), and was a 2021 Leverhulme Arts Scholar with Opera North, working with directors Tim Albery, Annabel Arden and Giles Havergal.
An experienced soloist, Elspeth has performed in some of the country’s top concert venues including the Barbican with the Britten Sinfonia, Snape Maltings Concert Hall with the Aldeburgh Voices, St Martin-in-the-Fields, and St John’s Smith Square with the European Union Chamber Orchestra. She is also an accomplished ensemble singer, and, as well as i Fagiolini, has sung with The Sixteen, The Marian Consort, Polyphony, The Cardinall’s Musick and Musica Secreta.
Some of her recent projects include a semi-staged performance of Caresana’s Christmas cantata La Tarantella with Rachel Podger, i Fagiolini and Brecon Baroque, and understudy for a new opera Drought by Anna Appleby in collaboration with the BBC Philharmonic.
Beth Moxon (Mezzo Soprano)
as Inge Scholl
Born and raised in Leeds, Beth studied at the Royal College of Music, National Opera Studio, and the Britten Pears Programme with Sir Antonio Pappano.
Since then she has sung roles in the UK and abroad including Penelope Il ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria at Opéra de Vichy, L’enfant L’enfant et les sortilèges at Opéra de Lyon and the Royal Opera House Muscat and the premiere of Hannah Kendall’s Knife of Dawn at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.
Beth has also covered roles at English National Opera, Glyndebourne and Opera North and is currently involved in the development of several new operas for the Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne and Faber.
Upcoming engagements include cover Meg in Adamo’s Little Women for Opera Holland Park, Mezzo Soprano soloist in Elgar’s The Music Makers and Olga in Lehar’s The Merry Widow in Mumbai.
When not singing, Beth enjoys settling into her favourite armchair with a good book and a cup of tea.
Ruairi Bowen (Tenor)
as Hans Scholl
A finalist in the International Handel Singing Competition in 2020, Ruairi is much in demand as an interpreter of Baroque repertoire in the UK and abroad, collaborating with some of the leading conductors in the field including Stephen Layton, Emmanuelle Haïm and Sir John Eliot Gardiner. An experienced evangelist of Bach’s Passions, Ruairi made his debuts at Wigmore Hall, Bachfest Leipzig and Snape Maltings with Solomon’s Knot, with whom he joined for Bach’s Weihnachts Oratorium this winter.
On the operatic stage, he debuted Prologue/Quint in Britten’s Turn of the Screw at Barnes Music Festival and took on multiple roles in Purcell’s The Indian Queen with Le Concert d’Astrée at l’Opera de Lille in 2019. He returned to Barnes for the role of Satvayān in Holst’s Sāvitri last Spring, and will feature in Sivan Eldar’s Like Flesh at Opéra national de Montpellier in 2022. A graduate of King’s College, Cambridge, Ruairi was invited to sing on Proud Songsters, an album of English Solo Song recorded with pianist Simon Lepper, featuring distinguished former members of the world-famous chapel choir.
During the live music hiatus in 2020/21, Ruairi was a Support Worker for the Children’s Section of the British Refugee Council, and formed part of The Hampstead Collective, an ensemble dedicated to performing Handel Oratorio and Bach’s sacred works. Where time allows, he returns to Herefordshire to play cricket for Brockhampton CC, and continues his studies with Nicky Spence & Caroline Dowdle.
Kieran Rayner (Baritone)
as Robert Scholl/Robert Mohr
Kieran is a London-based New Zealand baritone. He is a Britten Pears Young Artist 2021-22, and has been a Young Artist with Garsington Opera (winning the Sandbach Prize), Independent Opera, Verbier Festival, Samling Arts, Internationale Meistersinger Akademie, and has been generously supported by the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation. He was an International Handel Competition Finalist 2021, Wigmore Hall International Song Competition semifinalist 2019 and Royal Overseas League prize winner. Recent roles include Forester The Cunning Little Vixen (Longborough Festival Opera); Notar Der Rosenkavalier, Prince of Mantua Fantasio, cover Remo The Skating Rink (Garsington); Pierre Lafitte Cabildo (Wilton’s Music Hall); L’Horloge Comtoise L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (VOPERA); Crespel Tales of Hoffmann, cover Anténor Dardanus & Albert Werther (English Touring Opera); Silvio Pagliacci (NZ); Eisenstein Die Fledermaus (Singapore); Pierre Lafitte Cabildo; Sharpless Madam Butterfly; Figaro Il Barbiere di Siviglia; Figaro Le Nozze di Figaro; Mari / Directeur Les Mamelles de Tirésias. Concert highlights include Dare to Dream, Royal Albert Hall (Garsington, Hannah Conway); Serenade to Music, Buckingham Palace (John Wilson), and Stravinsky Pulcinella (Jurowski). He graduated from the Royal College of Music Opera School, with roles including The Forester, Eisenstein, Demetrius Midsummer Night’s Dream, Nardo La Finta Giardiniera, andVicar Gedge Albert Herring, plus two principal roles with British Youth Opera.
Father Andreas Blum
as Bischof von Galen
Father Andreas is the Parish Priest of St Boniface German Roman Catholic Church, London.
The Very Revd. John Witcombe
as Saint Augustine
The Very Revd. John Witcombe is the Dean of Coventry in the Church of England.
The German Choir of London
The German Choir of London founded in 2009, has established itself as one of London´s leading amateur choirs. In a sociable, friendly atmosphere, we perfect classical German choral masterpieces such as Brahms´ German Requiem and Orff´s Carmina Burana, as well as contemporary music and commissions from composers around the globe.
The choir has performed in some amazing venues around London, and in Paris, Brussels and Rome. Our projects often involve collaborations with cultural institutions and explore topics and themes of social or historical importance – we make music with a meaning.
www.deutscherchorlondon.org.uk
Singers / Orchestra
German Choir of London
Musical Director
Barbara Höfling
Soprano
Melanie Allmendinger
Uta Bergner-Sington
Rebecca Dittrich
Jenny Eckner
Margarete Falk
Siobhan Fraile
Dagmar Gauweiler
Amadea Heitman
Julia Jennings
Eva Klein
Harriet Marchand
Sarah Marzi
Izumi Nishizono
Nathalie Noetzold
Victoria Pelka
Sofie Thiel
Alto
Almut Beck
Fiona Geskes
Laure Gravier
Renate Kemp
Magdalena Lippingwell
Elisabeth Minkner
Kärt Johanna Ojamäe
Katy Rodda
Susanne Thiele
Katja Wolfheimer
Tenor
Ole Baxter
Phiroz Dalal
Erwin Li
Richard Loeser
Wendelin Lutz
Eckhart Marchand
Felix Richter
Bass
Christian Anders
Stewart Bates
Martin Becker
Paul Dichtl
Michael Erras
Paul Geffert
Philipp Gnatzy
Thomas Kaal
Luke Nicholson
Corvin Paul
Jeremias Reich
Johannes Rosenbusch
Jair Wuilloud
Coventry Cathedral Choir
Musical Director
Rachel Mahon
Soprano
Amber Buxcey
Reya Bird
Taigen Blades-Darwen
Libby Blunt
Reet Choudhary
Emma Corrigan
Elizabeth Dial
Janelle Ediagbonya
Caitlin Hickingbotham
Jeddydah Kiruthi
Elyonnah Kiruthi
Ella Luisi
Rita Musa
Tobi Okusanya
Davina Orelu
Antonia Poleszak
Francesca Poleszak
Thea Robinson
Corinne Robinson
Clara Sparke
Nagi Tateno
Sophie Williams
Alto
Urjosshi Ahmed
Sebastian Carrington
Robyn Bartlett
Mide Oladiji
Addison Shore
Tenor
Martin Carpenter
Matthew Horspool
Robert Johnson
Sasha Nyamakanga
Laurence Panter
Blake Williams
Bass
Anthony Cleary
Theodore Day
Benedict Lenton
Aaron Niblett
Simon Stenner
Orchestra
Violin
Gaby Lester (leader orchestra 1)
Joana Ly
Julia Loucks
Jens Lynen
Emily Nebel
Barbara Toth
Dominika Feher (leader orchestra 2)
Ann Criscuolo
Alberto Vidal
Jaga Klimaszewska
Hania Tracz
Iva Butler
Viola
Dan Shilladay
Edward Keenan
Miguel Sorbinho
Toby Deller
Cello
Kirsten Jenson
Una Birtchnell
Allessandro Sanguineti
Bass
Tom Morgan
Manuel dell’Oglio
Flute
Carolyn Hope
Helen Vidovic
Helen Manente
Ellen Nugent
Oboe
Clare Hoskins
Alec Harmon
Lisa Stonham
Vanessa Howells
Bassoon
Alec Forshaw
Organ
Luke Fitzgerald
Sponsors
The German Choir of London would like to thank the Bayerische Landesbank for their sponsorship of this concert.