Since 1990, the English Department of Heidelberg University has its own choir, the Anglistenchor, whose repertoire ranges from the Renaissance to performances of contemporary composers. The choir typically organizes a sophisticated and varied concert program several times per semester, mostly featuring music in English. It often accompanies academic ceremonies of the university, especially those of the English Department. The choir considers itself a demanding chamber choir and comprises about 25 singers from the Rhein-Neckar region. Besides its high musical quality, the choir is known for its courage to undertake extraordinary projects beyond the usual repertoire.
Highlights from the past years include the staged performance of Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with a specially composed prologue by Kian Geiselbrechtinger, George Frideric Handel’s Messiah with the Karlsruhe Baroque Orchestra, a staged performance of Andersen’s fairy tales in collaboration with the drama group of the English Department with music by David Lang (the little match girl passion) and Uģis Prauliņš (The Nightingale), the performance of the oratorio Annelies by James Whitbourn based on texts by Anne Frank, the performance of the 40-part motet “Spem in Alium” by Thomas Tallis, as well as exciting a cappella programs with some premieres. In 2019, the choir was invited by the Berlin Philharmonic to perform Jonathan Dove’s oratorio “There was a child” along with choirs from all over Europe under the direction of Simon Halsey. As a semi-chorus, it participated in the performance of Edward Elgar’s “The Dream of Gerontius” with the Friedrich-Spee-Choir Trier and the Studentenkantorei as well as the orchestra l’arpa festante.
The choir has also made a name for itself with its performances at the International Festival “Silent Film and Live Music” at dai Heidelberg, for which Jan Wilke wrote original film music. As part of the project “Apologeten des Wachstums” by the Industrietempel association, for which we recorded the film music and performed live at the Ludwigshafen waste-to-energy plant, SWR2 and SWR television (“Kunscht”) reported on the Anglistenchor for the first time. The choir regularly performs together with choirs from English-speaking countries abroad. International performances have taken it to Dublin (St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Trinity College Chapel), Strasbourg, Budapest, and London (Brandenburg Choral Festival).
In 2012, the choir received the honorary award from the Friends of the University of Heidelberg. At the Baden-Württemberg state choir competition in 2017, organized by the State Music Council, the choir achieved an excellent score of 22 points, earning the distinction “participated with very good success” and the 3rd prize. At the Carl Friedrich Zelter Choir Competition in Heilbronn in 2019, the choir received 23.5 out of 25 possible points, earning the distinction “participated with outstanding success”.
Memberships & Awards
The Anglistenchor is Member of the Verband Deutscher Konzertchöre. He is reviewed regularly in the cultural section of the Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung and has won several awards:
