Erfurt, the capital of the German federal state of Thuringia, is known for its architectural gems such as the Domhügel and the Krämerbrücke. Luther is also strongly connected to this city, as he entered the Augustinian monastery here in 1505.
Visitors to the concert on Saturday afternoon May 31 in the Sint-Pauluskerk in Antwerpen can add another gem to this list: the Philharmonischer Chor Erfurt.
Because there were too few choristers at the Theater Erfurt for the performance of Orff's "Carmina Burana", this choir was founded in 1994. Today, the choir has approximately 70 active singers. Their repertoire spans all stylistic periods and varies from symphonic choral singing and a cappella singing to opera. Members of the choir regularly support the opera choir of the Theater Erfurt at the Domstufenfestival and during productions in the theater.
Under the direction of Lukas Tobias Sommer, the Philharmonischer Chor Erfurt presented an intriguing a cappella program titled "Nachklang". They wanted to show how G.P. da Palestrina, whose 500th anniversary we celebrate this year, continues to influence generations of composers to this day.
The first piece was "Sicut cervus" by Palestrina. It was an immediate hit. In this Gothic space, the deer that strained toward flowing water became wonderfully refreshing. Also striking were "Verleih uns Frieden" and "Selig sind die Toten" by Schütz, which resounded as restrained, sometimes dark pleas. We can only hope that those melodies reached further than the church space and could one day penetrate so many conflict zones…
During the moving performance of "Song for Athene" by Taverner, you as a listener were figuratively struck by lightning, as once happened to Paul and Luther.
Of course, on this sun-drenched day, this choir also wanted to celebrate Life. It did so with sparkling performances of, among others, "Jauchzet dem Herrn" by Mendelssohn.
As an encore, "Locus iste" by Bruckner resounded. One could not have chosen a more fitting pedal point in this awesome Gothic space.
The choir sang fluently and at a high level. Every vocal part was well cast and came beautifully into its own. You didn't need a text, as the choir's diction was remarkably good.
It was charming that a choir member addressed the audience in Dutch.
During this concert, the Philharmonischer Chor Erfurt presented its calling card. It's a pity that the terraces attracted more people, but the listeners in the Sint-Pauluskerk went home with extra vitamins for the soul – mindful of Sir John Lubbock, who said: "As the sun colors the flowers, so art colors life."