Visitors from Nördlingen

Bethlehem Lutheran Church members were very fortunate on Sunday to play host to the St Georg Chamber Choir from Nördlingen, Germany. The choir was on a whirlwind tour of Australia, singing in Adelaide, Melbourne, Geelong, Wagga Wagga and Sydney.

Nördlingen is in Bavaria, Germany. It is a very old town, now over 1100 years old, with an intact medieval wall surrounding the older part of the town and the St Georg Evangelical Lutheran Church at its centre. St Georg's itself also has a long history - construction was begun after 1427, which means it pre-dates Martin Luther!

Nördlingen has been a sister city of Wagga Wagga since 1967 and so, to mark this now fifty year old relationship, the St Georg Chamber Choir travelled to Wagga Wagga and took part in two joint concerts with the Cantilena Singers over the weekend.

The Kammerchor Sankt Georg Nördlingen (St Georg Chamber Choir of Nördlingen) has a repertoire of mostly spiritual chorus music from across five centuries. The choir was established in 1995 and has since gained an excellent reputation for making beautiful music in Europe and beyond.

While the choir was in Wagga Wagga, some of our congregation opened their homes to choir members and their families, driving them to and from rehearsals, concerts and their other engagements. On Sunday morning, the choir joined us for worship in Athol Street and then stayed for lunch in the hall, ably provided by members of the congregation.

During the service, the choir sang:

• Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied (Sing to the Lord a New Song) by Johann Pachelbel
• Kyrie eleison by Felix Mendelssohn
• So nimm denn meine Hände (So Take My Hands) by Julie Hausmann and David Schubert
• For the Beauty by John Rutter
• Denn er hat seinen Engeln befohlen (For he shall give his angels) from the oratorio "Elias" (Elijah) by Felix Mendelssohn
• Ich weib, dass mein Erloser lebt (I Know that my Saviour Lives) by Gerhard Deutschmann

The choir singing Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, by Pachelbel

During the offering, the choir sang So nimm denn meine Hände, by Hausmann

The hall begins to fill up with hungry people.

Udo Knauer (Music Director) and Kathrin Wagner, with Rachel and Adrian.

Ulrike Knauer with Pastor Mark and Meredith.

Jane, Max, and Jenny in the church hall with Anne-Kathrin and Korbinian Schäfer.

An impromptu performance after lunch before we said goodbye.