The selection ensemble of the Swabian Singers' Association, conducted by Thomas Preiß, celebrates one of the oldest birthdays in history on its new CD and sets the mood for the most beautiful time of the year:
Traditional Christmas tunes blend with catchy gospel songs, contemplation, and anticipation of the upcoming joyful days skillfully translated into music. The spark quickly ignites the listener, partly because the recordings are all of high professionalism, leaving even a critical ear not disappointed.
The selection ensemble of the youth choir has been in existence for quite some time and has already won many awards. The choir recently received great praise on the occasion of a performance in Ludwigsburg from a special source: the renowned creator of the Ludwigsburg Castle Festival and the current president of the State Music Council of Baden-Württemberg, Prof. Wolfgang Gönnenwein.
Thomas Preiß, as the founder and choir director, is responsible for shaping an ensemble out of amateur singers that is on par with the professionals. Therefore, they are already seeking a new challenge and applying for the ZDF initiative, which seeks Germany's best choir in the "Grand Prix" of choirs. And who knows how everything will continue to develop for the youthful singers? After all, even stars like Bela B. (Die Ärzte), Xavier Naidoo, and Anke Engelke, who famously sings in a band, began their musical careers in choirs.
The president of the Swabian Singers' Association, former State Secretary Dr. Lorenz Menz, emphasizes that the aim is to reintroduce people to high-quality, captivating choral singing. Dr. Menz says:
"I am confident that communal singing has a future. Our choirs have a duty to ensure that the next generation is not a generation without songs, but also has access to the language of music in a technological age."
From this perspective, the many events of recent years, including a highly regarded and successful 10th-anniversary celebration of the youth choir at Stuttgart's main train station, are to be understood. The choirs meet people where they are and encourage them to listen and, above all, to sing along.
For more information, visit www.chorjugend.net.
