Sought & Found
EKBC's search for a new musical director ended with considerable success. Matthias Neuburger, long-time and now outgoing director says: "I am enormously pleased that the chorus has chosen Andrea Figallo as my successor."
Photo: Dietrich vom Berge
Frankfurt am Main, and Cologne, April 10, 2025 - The Gallustheater in Frankfurt am Main experienced two unforgettable evenings full of music, passion and friendship last weekend. The Frankfurt women's choir Die Dissonanten Tanten under the direction of Viola Engelbrecht and the Erster Kölner Barbershop Chor under the direction of Fabian Prolingheuer thrilled the sold-out audience with their unique performances.
“We don't promise what we deliver” was the title of the concert, which was intended to attract a curious audience: And indeed, both choirs offered a varied program that brought the diversity of a cappella choral music to life.
While Die Dissonanten Tanten impressed with powerful jazz sounds and soulful ballads written by their choir director, the Erster Kölner Barbershop Chor shone with its harmonious and fast-paced arrangements. Both choirs presented themselves in their respective authentic choreography: the EKBC always oriented towards the groove with small interludes, the Dissonante Tanten rhythmically snapping, in often changing formations. The entertainment value of the program was further enhanced by the choirs alternating in coordinated thematic blocks: This meant that each choir did not perform one half alone, but rather there were repeated changes of choir or encounters with witty choreography and moderation throughout the program, from the enthusiastic “welcome inferno” to a joint intermission finale, to the meaningful final finale “When all is said and done”. In the final encore, the choirs fought an interregional “local colour battle” with song snippets in kölsch and frakforderisch.
Both evenings ended with standing ovations and frenetic applause in recognition of the successful collaboration and the musical skills of the singers. The audience was delighted by the high quality of the performances and the passionate commitment of both choirs. It was also clear to everyone in the hall and on stage that a friendship has developed between Die Dissonanten Tanten and the EKBC that makes everybody want more.
"It was an incredible experience to see both choirs on stage together, to feel how they inspire and benefit from each other. Something very special has grown," says Viola Engelbrecht, choirmaster of the women's choir.
The sold-out concerts in the Gallustheater showed once again how enriching and unifying music can be - for everyone on and in front of the stage!
Contact:
Email: hallo@die-dissonanten-tanten.de
Website: www.die-dissonanten-tanten.de
Email: hallo@ekbc.de
Website: www.ekbc.de
EKBC's search for a new musical director ended with considerable success. Matthias Neuburger, long-time and now outgoing director says: "I am enormously pleased that the chorus has chosen Andrea Figallo as my successor."
Grunts come from the rehearsal room. A crow "answers" from outside. Truly unusual sounds produced by EKBC singers and singer friends. But it's all in good fun: Kerstin Greaves, singer, coach and certified CVT trainer, asked to try out sound effects like have been systematically described in the "Complete Vocal Technique".
We are the "Erster Kölner Barbershop Chor" and have also successfully participated in the casting of the Best Choir in the West. Nevertheless we are not looking for the first best!
We like to spice up our performances with the Cologne way of life and a lot of humor. Nevertheless, we are seriously searching!
The BinG! quartett "Klangsurfer" will sing January 29th 2022 (subject to the pandemic) at the Zurich ACAPELLA NIGHT, Volkshaus Zürich (Weißer Saal).
Come over or tell your Swiss friends and relatives!
Wer kennt nicht das Problem, bei virtuellen Chorproben das Tempo zu halten? Gemeint sind hier nicht Einweg-Sessions mit einer Videokonferenz-Software wie z.B. Zoom oder Jitsi, sondern echtes Miteinander-Singen auf der Basis von Jamulus.