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World premiere in Dresden: Jubilee mass creates a sound miracle in the cathedral
On October 26, 2025, Gregor Simon's Jubilee Mass celebrated its world premiere in Meissen Cathedral, recorded in Dolby Atmos.
World premiere in Dresden: Jubilee mass creates a sound miracle in the cathedral
On October 26, 2025, Dresden Cathedral had a very special premiere to offer. The selection choir of the Dresden Kapellknaben performed the jubilee mass by the composer Gregor Simon, which was created as part of a composition competition for a new mass. This competition, which was announced at the beginning of the year, attracted over 40 entries, with Simon's entry emerging as the winner. Diocese of Dresden-Meißen reports that it is the first church service to be recorded in Dolby Atmos, which guarantees absolutely innovative sound quality.
Gregor Simon, a church musician, organist and composer from Ulm, has made a name for himself with numerous sacred works, including nine masses. He received his musical training in Saarbrücken and has been working as a freelancer since 2013. Guido Erbrich, the station representative for the Catholic Church at MDR, provided information about the technical details of the transmission of the service. Around 1.5 million people followed the performance live on the radio, supported by a broadcast truck and minibuses in front of the cathedral, which were equipped with a total of 30 microphones to keep the sound quality high. Dresden.info emphasizes that the fair represents a successful combination of classical and modern musical influences, which was well received by the audience.
The mass and its meaning
In addition to the innovative technology, the mass is also characterized by its musical highlights, in particular the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei, which were described as harmonious and modern by alto Gustav Hornschild and soprano Jakob Klein. Cathedral music director Christian J. Bonath, who was a member of the jury, praised the successful combination of tension and the acoustic accentuation of the reverberation in the impressive cathedral. The band boys are pleased to be able to present this mass so impressively and plan to make the service recording available on music platforms such as Spotify.
The composition competition is expected to take place every three years and the jury will continue to consist of experienced professionals. The Kapellknaben, which has a long tradition dating back to 1709 and has been recognized as an intangible cultural heritage since 2014, strives to promote new choral music that can be integrated into the liturgy. The submissions were met with great interest among experts, and the jury evaluated all entries with the utmost care. It is also planned that the best submissions will receive premieres in later years, making the competition an exciting event for composers.
The opportunity to perform in such a prestigious setting as the Dresden Cathedral is an attraction for numerous musicians, which will certainly also attract future composers to apply for this competition. The next steps are promising and the audience's ears are already looking forward to upcoming musical highlights.