Gathering in Emmendingen: Over a thousand vocalists participate in the Choral Festival
The Baden Choir Festival, titled "Lebendig, klar und wunderbar" (Vibrant, clear, and wonderful), is set to take place from July 4 to 6, 2025, in Emmendingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. This three-day event is renowned for its lively and clear choral performances and will feature a special highlight: the oratorio "In the midst of life", which tells the life story of Albert Schweitzer.
The festival programme includes large-scale choral works and oratorios, attracting audiences interested in both traditional and contemporary choral music. While the exact list of choirs and conductors participating in the event is yet to be announced, it is expected to feature multiple choirs performing a variety of choral repertoire.
The festival is part of a broader choral culture in the region, with other noted choirs active in nearby parts of Germany and Switzerland in 2025.
The performance of the Albert Schweitzer biography oratorio will be sung by an international project choir consisting of lay singers from Baden, Alsace, and Switzerland. After the oratorio performance, there will be a panel discussion with high-profile guests, answering questions about Albert Schweitzer's life and work.
The festival will kick off on Friday evening at 6:00 PM with a world premiere of an oratorio about Nobel Peace Prize laureate and theologian Albert Schweitzer. The performance will take place on Emmendingen's market square. On Friday evening at 9:00 PM, the website vocal ensemble will perform a musical journey through 3,000 years of psalm history in Emmendingen's city church.
Throughout the weekend until Sunday, various chamber choirs, ensembles, and church choirs will perform. The grand choir night and a communal singing of evening songs will follow the festival service on Saturday evening.
More than 1,500 singers and around 10,000 visitors are expected until Sunday at the choir festival. A children's musical is scheduled to take place during the weekend. Bishop Heike Springhart will lead the festival service on Saturday evening together with the choirs.
The Baden Choir Festival is a trinational meeting of choirs from the Evangelical Church in Baden, Alsace, and Switzerland, taking place every four years. The event is a unique opportunity to enjoy high-quality choral music in a vibrant cultural setting. For detailed scheduling, ticketing information, and full performer lineups, it is advisable to look up the official festival website or local event listings as the date approaches.
- Visitors can anticipate an exciting mix of choral performances, including oratorios and large-scale choral works, which promise to showcase both traditional and contemporary music during the Baden Choir Festival.
- In addition to the choral performances, the Baden Choir Festival will offer entertainment such as a panel discussion with high-profile guests, discussing the life and work of Albert Schweitzer, after the performance of the oratorio "In the midst of life."
