A musical journey: State Church Music Days celebrate 75 years of church music!

A musical journey: State Church Music Days celebrate 75 years of church music!

The State Church Music Days 2024 recently celebrated a festive opening in the picturesque setting of Meißen Cathedral. The starting signal was given on April 10, 2024 with a cantata concert in the Frauenkirche Meißen, where 170 students, former graduates and church musicians from Saxony and beyond played together. The motto of the event, “limitless”, shows the ambitious spirit that also characterized the subsequent concerts. The importance of church music was underlined at the opening not only by the musical performances, but also in the words of regional bishop Tobias Bilz, who discussed the revival of church music after the pandemic-related restrictions in his sermon. He emphasized how important this music is for the soul of people, as sonntag-sachsen.de reports.

On April 14, 2024, the festive conclusion of the State Church Music Days finally took place in Meißen Cathedral. The service included musical performance by a large brass band and the choirs of the Meißen-Großenhain church district. The liturgical direction was taken over by cathedral priest superintendent Andreas Beuchel, while the organ lines were accompanied by cathedral cantor Thorsten Göbel. Ultimately, the participants' singing skills also underlined the celebratory atmosphere.

Insights into the diversity of church music

As part of these events, not only classics by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Stefan Mey were performed, but also contemporary compositions that impressively reflect the diversity of church music. State church music director Markus Leidenberger described the state church music days as a festival and training at the same time. It became clear that church music acts as a strong pillar of the regional church and creates a wonderful space for making music together and exchanging ideas.

Against the festive background, numerous guests, including the Saxon State Minister for Culture and Tourism Barbara Klepsch and Mayor Olaf Raschke, were able to stay on the cathedral square. Here, the sounds of brass provided the appropriate musical accents for a sociable get-together, while the historic walls of Meissen as a backdrop created a very special atmosphere.

In addition, church music not only plays an important role in the form of beautiful sounds, but it is also supported by conceptual plans that were approved by the 28th State Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Regional Church of Saxony (EVLKS). In this context, printed matter No. 140 presented the motion of the Theological Committee entitled “Up, soul, to praise God!” carries. This plan follows the vision of advancing church music in the communities and making it the heart of the church's offerings, as can be read on kirchenmusik-sachsen.de.

The festive opening of the Regional Church Music Days and the subsequent events impressively show how lively and important church music is for the community. It remains to be hoped that the momentum of the music and the creative power of the church musicians will continue to have a long-term impact and inspire people to connect with the music and the community. The regional church office has certainly shown a very good hand in this by promoting and accompanying the implementation of the concept in the communities.