Singing connects

Singing in a choir leaves a lasting impression on you for your entire life.

"Singing in a choir is not only healing, but also living life," said Cordula Fischer in a personal conversation at the Erfurt Theater. Ms. Fischer is a trained choir conductor and overall artistic director of two choirs in Erfurt and Weimar. During her studies, she took on a teaching position for children's choir work at the Franz Liszt University of Music in Weimar. At the same time, she directed the Erfurt Philharmonic Children's and Youth Choir, today's Chorakademie Erfurt. In Weimar, Cordula Fischer founded the schola cantorum weimar in 2002, where she now teaches around 270 children and young people aged 5 to 21 as artistic director. She accompanies and teaches another 120 children at the Chorakademie Erfurt. The current number of choir members is considerable, but the increase in new members is no longer a given after Corona, reports Cordula Fischer.

Photo: Cordula Fischer

The oldest, most genuine and most beautiful organ of music, the organ to which our music owes its existence alone, is the human voice.

Richard Wagner (1813-83)

During a choir rehearsal for the children's opera Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer, after just a few minutes of being a silent observer in the background, you feel like following Cordula Fischer's instructions yourself. Right at the start of the rehearsals, there are various loosening-up and breathing exercises. Later, the emphasis and correct pronunciation of certain words are repeatedly practiced, and you quickly find yourself automatically imitating Ms. Fischer's mouth movements. It feels like everyone is literally hanging on her every word and listening attentively to her explanations when she demonstrates the difference between calling and screaming, for example. The atmosphere in the ballet room at the Erfurt Theater was impressive. Although all the children had already had a day at school, there was absolute concentration and discipline throughout the entire rehearsal period of almost 1 1/2 hours. The interaction between and with each other was constructive and very respectful. Singing in the choir gives the children a special sense of togetherness. They quickly realize that they are part of something and that they have responsibilities in a group as well as their rights.

Through their collaboration with the Erfurt Theater, the children gain a wealth of experience on stage. They learn to play their roles perfectly and solve problems elegantly. They take on responsibility and experience appreciation for their own behavior to the same extent. Anyone who has once taken part in an opera often remains connected to the theater for life.

On July 27, 2023, over 20 children and young people from grades 3 to 12 from Erfurt and Weimar will perform in the children's opera Jim Knopf and Lukas the Engine Driver for the last time this year at the DOMINO - DomStufen-Festspiele für die Kleinen ones. Such major projects take almost two years to plan, always taking into account the holiday periods in Erfurt and Weimar. The children's choir is put together across groups and rehearses at least twice a week before further staged rehearsals are added later. The result is definitely something to see and hear.

At our open day on September 23, 2023, you can experience a colorful program for the whole family from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Among other things, the Chorakademie Erfurt will be singing live in the foyer of the theater. There will be an audition and many opportunities to talk to individual children from the junior and children's choir. New members of the Chorakademie Erfurt are expressly desired and warmly welcomed. We look forward to your visit to our house!

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