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CULTURE

Girls strike new note at ancient German boys’ choir school

For over a millennium, Germany's imposing Regensburg Cathedral has swelled with the sound of choirboys singing Mass. But this Christmas, for the first time, girls' voices are ringing out too.

Members of the Regensburger Domspatzen girls' choir sing during their first appearance during a service at the Regensburg Cathedral
Members of the Regensburger Domspatzen girls' choir sing during their first appearance during a service at the Regensburg Cathedral on December 18, 2022.  In September, the famous Regensburg cathedral school broke with tradition and opened its doors to girls for the first time, founding a separate girls' choir. Photo: Christof STACHE / AFP

It has been an unusual few months for the Regensburg cathedral school in Bavaria, home to the world-renowned Domspatzen boys’ choir.

In September, the school broke with 1,000 years of tradition and opened its doors to girls, setting up a separate girls’ choir.

After weeks of rehearsing traditional Christmas songs, the girls gave their first performance on the fourth Sunday of Advent.

Wearing sweaters and gloves against the winter chill, the girls were greeted with warm applause when they made their debut in front a packed cathedral.

“History is being written here,” said 17-year-old Nepomuk Dillitzer, who came to watch his sister sing, and was himself once a member of the boys’ choir.

His grandmother, Margaretta Dillitzer, said she had enjoyed her granddaughter’s maiden concert and praised the choir school for opening up.

“It’s important because it’s a matter of equality,” she told AFP.

Among the new crop of students at the school is Dorothea Krakowsky, 11, who enrolled alongside her twin brother, Johannes.

Members of the Regensburger Domspatzen girls' choir prepare for their first appearance during a service at the Regensburg Cathedral

Members of the Regensburger Domspatzen girls’ choir prepare for their first appearance during a service at the Regensburg Cathedral on December 18, 2022. (Photo by Christof STACHE / AFP)

“It always annoyed me that the boys were favoured. That’s why I think it’s really great that there are girls here too now,” she said, speaking to AFP ahead of the concert.

Founded in 975, the Regensburger Domspatzen — which translates as “cathedral sparrows” — is one of the world’s oldest and most famous boys’ choirs.

International stardom

The school created alongside the choir offers pupils a standard German education, but with a heavy focus on music and at least one hour of choir practice every day.

There are a total of 305 students aged between 10 and 19, around two-thirds of whom are boarders.

Full tuition and board costs 570 euros ($600) a month and students must pass a gruelling audition before being offered a place.

As well as providing the music for services at Regensburg Cathedral, the boys’ choir regularly embarks on prestigious international concert tours.

However, the school has not been spared from the Catholic Church’s child abuse scandal and a 2017 report found that more than 500 choirboys suffered sexual or physical abuse at the institute between 1945 and the early 1990s.

The report criticised senior Church figures for failing to do enough to prevent the abuse. They include Georg Ratzinger, brother of former pope Benedict, who led the choir from 1964 to 1994.

The scandal “probably” contributed to a decline in applications in 2016 and 2017, according to Christian Heiss, the current conductor of the Regensburger Domspatzen.

Then, having completed extensive renovations in 2020, the school also found itself receiving fewer applications as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Christian Heiss, head of Regensburger Domspatzen (Regensburg Cathedral Choir), conducts a boys choir during a rehearsal

Christian Heiss, head of the Regensburger Domspatzen (Regensburg Cathedral Choir), conducts a boys choir during a rehearsal on December 2, 2022 in Regensburg, southern Germany. (Photo by Christof STACHE / AFP)

The extra capacity meant “the time was ripe… to start a new pathway, a girls’ choir pathway”, Heiss said.

A total of 33 girls joined the school in September, 15 of them in the reception year and the others in older year groups.

The girls’ choir rehearses separately from the boys’ choir but otherwise all lessons are now mixed.

‘Bright, radiant sound’

For 16-year-old Jakob Bauer, in his fifth year at the school, it’s been a positive development.

“It’s definitely different,” he said. “At first I thought it was going to be a major change… but now it’s actually pretty normal and quite cool too.”

The girls’ choir made its debut on Sunday under conductor Elena Szuczies.

The initial plan was for the choir to perform for the first time in 2023 but the girls had exceeded her expectations, Szuczies said.

A picture of Regensburger Domspatzen (Regensburg Cathedral Choir) hangs in a rehearsal room

A picture of the Regensburger Domspatzen (Regensburg Cathedral Choir) hangs in a rehearsal room on December 2, 2022 in Regensburg, southern Germany. (Photo by Christof STACHE / AFP)

There are currently no plans for the school to start a mixed choir, partly because the girls have their own “different sound”, according to Szuczies.

“I personally love this bright, radiant sound,” she said.

To begin with, the girls’ choir will stick to singing at Sunday services in Regensburg cathedral. 

But Heiss hopes they will eventually reach the same heights as their male counterparts.

“Boys’ choirs are famous and have a certain reputation musically, but the girls’ choir scene is not yet as established,” he said.

“I think that by offering this pathway we will also help to make the girls’ choir scene better known and raise its profile.”

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EVENTS

What’s on: 11 unmissable events around Germany this July

July kicks off the summer festival season in Germany - and there are plenty of excuses to enjoy the sunny weather. From elegant wine festivals to wild street parties, here are 11 events you definitely shouldn't miss out on.

What's on: 11 unmissable events around Germany this July

Do you have an event in Germany that you’d like us to highlight? Let us know by emailing [email protected]

July 1st – 4th: Berlin Fashion Week 

The month of July kicks off with a calendar highlight for the fashionistas – Fashion Week – and there’s no better place for it than trendy and innovative Berlin. As always, the event will showcase the most up-and-coming contemporary designers, with Avenir, Ewa Herzog and Rianna and Nina among those presenting their new styles this year. 

Alongside the usual list of VIP catwalk events, there are also several events that are open to the public, including an exhibition on the politics of fashion at Das Minsk Kunsthaus in Potsdam and a celebration of Tokyo and Berlin fashion at the Japanese-German Centre in Berlin. 

Of course, those who are well-connected in the fashion world may also be able to blag an invite to some star-studded red carpet events and parties through the week. 

July 4th – 9th:  Freiburg Wine Festival

Anyone who fancies a refreshing tipple from one of Germany’s most famous wine-growing regions should be sure to visit this year’s wine festival in Freiburg im Breisgau.

Set against a backdrop of Freiburg Münster in the heart of the picturesque Altstadt, the festival will feature the best creations from local wineries and vineyards, along with a packed roster of music and entertainment.

As is customary, the five-day event will be opened by the local Weinkönigin, or wine queen, and her train of wine princesses, and Freiburg’s top culinary talent will be serving regional delicacies like Kasespätzel and Wurstsalat.

July 6th:  Rhine in Flames, Bingen & Rüdesheim 

If you’ve ever wanted to see the Rhine ablaze with the colours and lights of a spectacular fireworks display, then Rhine in Flames should be high up on your bucket list.  

Rhine in Flames events happen at intervals throughout the year, but this July it’ll be taking place not too far from Frankfurt, Wiesbaden and Mainz on a stretch of the river that is bookended by two pretty towns: Bingen and Rüdesheim. 

Music and refreshments are available at the best viewing spots, but if you really want a spectacular view of the Rhine set alight by dazzling fireworks, travelling by boat can be a truly other-worldly experience. 

July 12th – 21st: Kinderzeche, Dinkelsbühl 

Located along Germany’s Romantic Road, the idyllic town of Dinkelsbühl is worth a visit at any time of year, but the Kinderzeche folk festival is when the town and its residents truly come alive.

Translated as “Children’s Feast”, the Kinderzeche dates way back to the 30 Years’ War in the 17th Century, when children apparently saved the historic city from siege by pleading with a Swedish colonel for mercy.

Kinderzeche in Dinkelsbühl

Children perform during the Kinderzeche festival in the Bavarian town of Dinkelsbühl. Photo: picture alliance / Ingrid Wenzel/Touristik Service Dinkelsbühl/dpa-tmn | Ingrid Wenzel

These days, children of all ages still perform reenactments of the event on Sundays and Mondays throughout July, while adults wear traditional dress and carry flowers to celebrate their city’s heritage.  

READ ALSO: Travel in Germany – Discovering the fairytale trail of Kassel

July 12th – 21st: Rheinkirmes, Düsseldorf 

Set on the banks of the River Rhine in bustling Düsseldorf, the Rhinekirmes is basically a big funfair and folk festival rolled into one, complete with fairground rides, beer tents, street food and firework displays. 

This year, visitors at the Kirmes can look forward to pulse-racing rollercoasters like the Alpina Bahn and Eurocoaster, not to mention the giant Bellevue ferris wheel and a new virtual reality attraction called Dr. Archibald: Master of Time.

The legendary Pink Monday, which is reserved for the LGBTQ+ community, will take place on July 15th, while the show-stopping fireworks will kick off on Friday, July 19th at 10:30pm. 

July 14th: Euro 2024 Final, Berlin

Set in football stadiums across Germany, the nail-biting Euro 2024 tournament has been an incredible journey so far, and excitement is already building for the final match on July 14th.

At this stage, it’s still hard to say which teams could go all the way, though Germany, France, Spain and Portugal are currently among the favourites. Whoever makes it through, it’ll all kick off at Berlin’s Olympiastadion at 9pm on Sunday, July 14th.

Weekends July 12th – 28th: Kaltenberg Knights’ Tournament 

If you’re a fan of all thing’s medieval, you’ll adore the pomp and pageantry on offer at this year’s Knight’s Tournament, or Rittertournier, in the Upper Bavarian town of Kaltenberg.

In the atmospheric setting of Kaltenberg Castle, surrounded by rolling hills, visitors can step into the shoes of medieval royalty and enjoy music, juggling and a thrilling jousting show that will test the mettle of many a courageous knight. 

Knights compete in a jousting tournament in Kaltenberg

Knights compete in a jousting tournament at the medieval festival in Kaltenberg. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Karl-Josef Hildenbrand

The tournaments will take place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays over three weekends in July, and visitors can also enjoy beer halls, food stalls and family entertainment throughout the grounds of the castle. 

READ ALSO: Five haunted castles in Germany that will creep you out

July 19th – July 21st:  Cologne Pride Street Festival

Cologne has one of the largest and most vibrant LGBTQ+ communities in the country, and the city’s love of carnivals and street parties makes Pride an event worth travelling to.

A huge and colourful street festival kicks off at Heumarkt, Alter Markt, Gürzenichstraße und Elogiusplatz on July 19th at 4pm and runs throughout the weekend until Sunday night. You can find three open-air stages in these areas, as well as a podcast stage featuring queer podcasts, a beach chillout zone with laidback Ibiza sounds, and plenty of places to buy food and drinks. 

On Sunday, the CSD parade will see an estimated 1.4 people pass through the centre of Cologne, complete with exuberant costumes and colourful floats blasting the best pop hits. 

July 21st:  Klassik Open Air, Nuremberg 

Every summer, the serene setting of Luitpoldhain park in Nuremberg plays host to one of Europe’s biggest classical music events.

On balmy evenings, families and friends bring blankets and picnics to watch some of the world’s most talented musicians in a laid-back atmosphere – and best of all, for free.

This year, the Nuremberg Philharmonic Orchestra will perform a family concert titled ‘Große Gefühle’, or ‘Big Emotions’, at 11am on Sunday, July 21st, while Roland Böer, the director of the orchestra, will make his debut showcasing both well-known and new works inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet at 8pm.

READ ALSO: 10 unmissable events taking place in Germany in 2024

July 28th: Christopher Street Day, Berlin

Though Pride and CSD events take place all around Germany in July, Berlin’s bombastic and irreverent street party is a celebration not to be missed.

Alongside dancing and techno music in the streets, there’s also a demonstration that starts on Leipziger Straße in Kreuzberg and heads towards the Brandenburg Gate and Straße der 17. June via Schöneberg.

CSD Parade Berlin

Demonstrators gather at the legendary Christopher Street Day (CSD) Parade on Straße der 17. Juni in Berlin. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Hannes P Albert

This year the motto is “Only strong together – for democracy and diversity” and organisers hope to emphasise the dangers of far-right parties attacking queer rights.

READ ALSO: Meet the Berlin Pride co-founder continuing the fight for LGBTQ+ rights

They will also focus on discrimination and violence against gay people and the trans community, as well as calling for better education around queer visibility and dating platforms as well as calling for more inclusion in society in general. 

July 28th – August 11th: Sommerwerft Theatre Festival, Frankfurt 

If you’re yearning for a bit of culture over the holidays, look no further than the Sommerweft Theatre Festival in Frankfurt, which brings together an eclectic mix of experimental theatre, contemporary dance, live music, and film screenings, all set against the banks of the River Rhine and Frankfurt’s iconic skyline.

With its focus on diversity, creativity and togetherness, the festival features renowned local and international artists and a daily roster of interactive workshops, alongside street food stalls and open-air bars.

Whether simply strolling along the banks of the Rhine and soaking up the atmosphere, enjoying groundbreaking performance art or trying your hand at something new, Sommerwelt is the perfect hang-out spot on a long summer evening. 

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