Building bridges between cultures is something that is commonly discussed but too rarely acted upon. It isn't that people don't want, really, but that they lack the opportunities. However, on Oct. 21, Arizona Western College was given an amazing opportunity to interact with members from the German Boys Choir of the Frankfurter Singakadamie.
The Choir came to Yuma to perform at the Yuma Historic Theatre alongside the AWC Chamber Singers. But they also came out to AWC to perform a short concert, tour the campus and rehearse for the concert.
Deltrina Grimes, Professor of Music and director of the AWC choirs, was especially proud of the AWC student body that day.
"They came over and introduced themselves, and they would tell them they enjoyed the performance they did out on the courtyard of the 3C building," she said.
Initially, the Chamber Singers were only meant to open for the German choir. However, Grimes and Dr. J¸rgen Hintze, director of the German Boys Choir, spontaneously decided that the two groups would perform a few songs together, including "Let there be Peace on Earth" by Jill Jackson Miller and Sy Miller.
"The best part was that my students were able to work and sing with them," said Grimes. "That's a memory that can never be taken from them, and they'll always have that."
The Chamber Singers also learned a traditional German folksong called "Du, du liegst mir am Herzen," which they learned to sing in German with the guidance of the other choir.
The concert at the Yuma Historic Theatre began at 7:00 p.m. to a packed house, and the Chamber Singers gracefully moved onto the stage, the women in long black gowns and the men in black slacks and black long sleeved button-up shirts topped with a cardinal-red tie. Their performance was short but memorable as their balanced voices filled the auditorium.
As the AWC choir began to file off stage the German Boys Choir were emerging down the aisles. The older ones came first, dressed in black suits topped with a red bow tie. Following them were the younger members of the group, who were dressed in black slacks, white long sleeved shirts and red vests.
A little over half of their 22 songs were in English, one of which was "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen. The verses of this song were sung in solos while the chorus was sung by the entire choir.
After their last song, the Boys Choir earned a standing ovation along with claps, yells and whistles. One of the choir members stepped forward to thank certain people who had helped to make their visit possible and to thank Yuma as a whole for their memorable experience.
Among the AWC voices was Julio Correa, who said, "The best part about performing with the German Boys Choir was interacting with each other and having fun despite the language barrier."
The Boys Choir of the Frankfurter Singakadamie is a popular group conducted by Hintze. The boys range from age 10 to 32 and come mostly from various schools across the German city of Frankfurt-an-der-Oder.
The choir tours widely across Europe and the U.S. and has a reputation of attracting boys from all over Germany, Poland and Russia. Its aim is to inspire a lasting love for music in young musicians, to to stimulate an "international understanding through numerous tours" and to enjoy making music with other choirs.
The AWC Chamber Singers and the Frankfurter Singakadamie's concert was an unforgettable evening. It was full of great music, new experiences with another culture through music, and an amazing joint performance between the two choirs to finish
Photo courtesy of AWC Photo Services.
