The Thomanerchor (English: St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig) is a

boys' choir A boys' choir is a choir primarily made up of choirboys who have yet to begin puberty or are in the early to middle stages of puberty and so retain their more highly pitched childhood voice type. Members of a boys' choir are technically known as '' ...

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...

, Germany. The choir was founded in 1212. The choir comprises about 90 boys from 9 to 18 years of age. The members, called ''Thomaner'', reside in a

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...

, the ''Thomasalumnat'' and attend the St. Thomas School, Leipzig, a

Gymnasium school ''Gymnasium'' (and variations of the word) is a term in various European languages for a secondary school that prepares students for higher education at a university. It is comparable to the US English term '' preparatory high school''. Bef ...

with a linguistic profile and a focus on musical education. The younger members attend the primary school ''Grundschule

Forum Thomanum The Forum Thomanum (styled forum thomanum) is a music educational campus developed from 2002 in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany, as the new home of the Thomanerchor which was founded in 1212. It was conceived in 2002 by Georg Christoph Biller, then Tho ...

'' or ''Anna-Magdalena-Bach-Schule''.

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

served as

Thomaskantor (Cantor at St. Thomas) is the common name for the musical director of the , now an internationally known boys' choir founded in Leipzig in 1212. The official historic title of the Thomaskantor in Latin, ', describes the two functions of cantor a ...

, director of the choir and church music in Leipzig, from 1723 to 1750.

The choir

Although the choir's main musical field traditionally consists of the vocal works of

, the repertoire comprises pieces from different eras, from the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

to contemporary music.

Andreas Reize Andreas Reize (born 19 May 1975) is a Swiss organist and conductor, with a focus on opera and choral conducting. He was appointed Thomaskantor on 11 September 2021, becoming the 18th director of music to take charge of the world famous Thomanerch ...

is the 18th Thomaskantor since Bach. The

is the campus of the choir in the Bach quarter of Leipzig. It was inaugurated in 2012 and includes the ''Thomasalumnat'' (boarding school), kindergarten, primary school, high school, choir rehearsal space, Luther Church, youth hostel, administration buildings, gym, a rehearsal hall and more amenities. Some critics contend that the Forum Thomanum project will change the way that the ''Thomaner'' are instructed and recruited. Most of the members of the live in the on Hiller Street. The boys are separated into so-called rather than school classes. Each is not only a sleeping room, but also an administrative entity with a closed hierarchy and a clear assignment of tasks. One or more older choir boys live with the younger ones in each in order to create a hierarchy and didactic relationship. Hence, the upbringing in the Thomanerchor is provided primarily by the older members, and the educators play a smaller role. Therefore, it is possible to have 90 boys living under one roof, supervised by only five educators. The are redistributed every year in order to maintain the age groupings and also to influence the social order in the . The have only lockable wardrobes () and one table for each boy. The rooms also have other furnishings, namely shelves for books, newspapers and satchels, radios, plants and chairs. Televisions and computers are not allowed. Each ''Stube'' consists of at least four rooms and a washroom with two showers, and each room has two to three beds. The also has a gym, a rehearsal hall, and a dining hall where all boys eat together three times a day, a shop where the tailor sews the boys' suits for the concerts, an archive, a wing of the building for the teachers who live there, a room for the band, a model railway room, a fitness room, a living room for the older boys, a "press room" for the school's newspaper, a sauna, a library with computers and internet, an infirmary, and a television room. Communal restrooms are located on the hallway of each . The Thomanerchor gives concerts across Germany (at least two major tours a year) and abroad. The choir also sings three times a week in the

Thomaskirche , native_name_lang = , image = Leipzig Thomaskirche.jpg , imagelink = , imagealt = , caption = , pushpin map = , pushpin label position = , pushpin map alt ...

, "Motette" every Friday evening at 6 and every Saturday afternoon at 3, service on Sundays at 9 o'clock. The choir also sings at Protestant festivities. The children have vacations during the summer school vacations. The tour of 2012, the choir's 800th year, presented a program of Alessandro Scarlatti's , Kyrie and Gloria from Palestrina's ', Bruckner's motets and , and Bach's motet . It was performed, for example, on 6 July in the

Eberbach Abbey Eberbach Abbey (German: Kloster Eberbach) is a former Cistercian monastery in Eltville in the Rheingau, Germany. On account of its Romanesque and early Gothic buildings it is considered one of the most significant architectural heritage sites i ...

at the

Rheingau Musik Festival The (RMF) is an international summer music festival in Germany, founded in 1987. It is mostly for classical music, but includes other genres. Concerts take place at culturally important locations, such as Eberbach Abbey and Schloss Johannisberg, ...

History

Fotothek df roe-neg 0006398 005 Thomanerchor

The

Margrave of Meissen This article lists the margraves of Meissen, a march and territorial state on the eastern border of the Holy Roman Empire. History King Henry the Fowler, on his 928-29 campaign against the Slavic Glomacze tribes, had a fortress erected on a ...

founded St. Thomas' priory for

Augustinian Canons Canons regular are priests who live in community under a rule ( and canon in greek) and are generally organised into religious orders, differing from both secular canons and other forms of religious life, such as clerics regular, designated by ...

(''Augustiner-Chorherrenstift zu St. Thomas'') in 1212. A school was annexed to the monastery, the intended purpose of which was to develop future priests. Since the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

in 1539, the school and the choir have belonged to the city of Leipzig; it is also influenced by the Protestant Church of

Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...

. This makes the Thomanerchor the oldest cultural entity in the city and one of the oldest in Europe; the

Regensburger Domspatzen The Regensburger Domspatzen (literally: Regensburg Cathedral Sparrows) is the cathedral choir at the Regensburg Cathedral in Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany. The boys' choir dates back to 975, and consists of boys and young men only. They perform i ...

is the oldest known choir on record. When

served as director, the choir consisted of about 50 singers, of which the best 16 were used for performance of cantatas. After Bach's death, other famous musicians served as director, among them Doles, Hiller and

Moritz Hauptmann Moritz Hauptmann (13 October 1792, Dresden – 3 January 1868, Leipzig), was a German music theorist, teacher and composer. His principal theoretical work is the 1853 ''Die Natur der Harmonie und der Metrik'' explores numerous topics, particular ...

. By the end of the 19th century, the Thomasschule next to the Thomaskirche was demolished and the choir moved to the Hiller street, now the Leipziger "Music Quarter". During the

Nazi era Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

, the choir was incorporated into the

Hitler Jugend The Hitler Youth (german: Hitlerjugend , often abbreviated as HJ, ) was the youth organisation of the Nazi Party in Germany. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. ...

in 1937. But the Nazi government did not succeed in infiltrating their ideology into the choir's repertoire because the then director Ramin concentrated on religious works. He also tried to prevent the boys from being enlisted as long as possible.

Georg Christoph Biller Georg Christoph Biller (20 September 1955 – 27 January 2022) was a German choral conductor. He conducted the Thomanerchor as the sixteenth Thomaskantor since Johann Sebastian Bach from 1992 to 2015. He was also a baritone, an academic teacher, ...

, who was a Thomaner himself in his youth, directed the choir from 1992 to 2015. After retiring for health reasons, he was succeeded by

Gotthold Schwarz Gotthold Schwarz (born 2 May 1952 in Zwickau) is a German Bass-baritone and conductor. Based in Leipzig, he started as a member of the Thomanerchor and has conducted the Gewandhausorchester. Between 2016 and 2021, he was the 17th Thomaskantor af ...

as interim cantor, the latter being officially appointed as the new Thomaskantor in June 2016. The 18th Thomaskantor after Bach is

Thomanerchor, Lutherkirche, Wiesbaden, RMF

He resumed the traditional summer tours with a program called ''Salmo!'', after the opening piece '' Salmo 150''. It was presented at the Thomaskirche, and in

Merseburg Cathedral Merseburg Cathedral (german: Merseburger Dom) is the proto-cathedral of the former Bishopric of Merseburg in Merseburg, Germany. The mostly Gothic church is considered an artistic and historical highlight in southern Saxony-Anhalt. History Back ...

among other places in Thuringia, and at the Lutherkirche in Wiesbaden as part of the

Cantors

Cantors of the Thomanerchor, called Thomaskantor in German, have included (in brackets their time in the office): *

Georg Rhau Georg Rhau (Rhaw) (1488 – 6 August 1548) was a German publisher and composer. He was one of the most significant music printers in Germany in the first half of the 16th century, during the early period of the Protestant Reformation. He was prin ...

(1518–1520) *

Johannes Galliculus Johannes Galliculus (Alectorius, Hähnel, Hennel; c. 1490 in Dresden – c. 1550 in Leipzig) was a German music theorist and composer. He was active ca. 1520 in Leipzig. He was the cantor of the Thomanerchor from 1520 to 1525. Works Editions: ...

(1520–1525) *

Sethus Calvisius Sethus Calvisius or Setho Calvisio, originally Seth Kalwitz (21 February 1556 – 24 November 1615), was a German music theorist, composer, chronologer, astronomer, and teacher of the late Renaissance. Biography He was born into a peasant family ...

(1594–1615) *

Johann Hermann Schein Johann Hermann Schein (20 January 1586 – 19 November 1630) was a German composer of the early Baroque era. He was Thomaskantor in Leipzig from 1615 to 1630. He was one of the first to import the early Italian stylistic innovations into Germa ...

(1615–1630) *

Tobias Michael Tobias Michael (13 June 1592, in Dresden – 26 June 1657, in Leipzig) was a German composer and cantor of the Thomasschule in Leipzig from 1631 until his death. He updated Johann Hermann Schein's ''Cantional'' in 1645. He was son of the Flemish Ro ...

(1631–1657) *

Sebastian Knüpfer Sebastian Knüpfer (6 September 1633 – 10 October 1676) was a German composer, conductor and educator. He was the ''Thomaskantor'', cantor of the Thomanerchor in Leipzig and director of the towns's church music, from 1657 to 1676.''Grove Concise ...

(1657–1676) *

Johann Schelle Johann Schelle ( Geising, Erzgebirge, 6 September 1648 – Leipzig 10 March 1701) was a German Baroque composer. From 1655 to 1657 he was a choirboy in Dresden and pupil of Heinrich Schütz. From 1657 to 1664 on Schütz's recommendation he was ...

(1677–1701) *

Johann Kuhnau Johann Kuhnau (; 6 April 16605 June 1722) was a German polymath, known primarily as a composer today. He was also active as a novelist, translator, lawyer, and music theorist, and was able to combine these activities with his duties in his offici ...

(1701–1722) *

(1723–1750) *

Johann Friedrich Doles Johann Friedrich Doles (23 April 1715 – 8 February 1797) was a German composer and pupil of Johann Sebastian Bach. Doles was born in Steinbach-Hallenberg. He attended the University of Leipzig. He was Kantor at the Leipzig Thomasschule, condu ...

(1756–1789) *

Johann Adam Hiller Johann Adam Hiller (25 December 1728, in Wendisch-Ossig, Saxony – 16 June 1804, in Leipzig) was a German composer, conductor and writer on music, regarded as the creator of the Singspiel, an early form of German opera. In many of these operas ...

(1789–1801) *

Johann Gottfried Schicht Johann Gottfried Schicht (29 September 1753 – 16 February 1823) was a German composer and conductor. Schicht was born in Reichenau, in the Electorate of Saxony. He trained as a lawyer, studying from 1776 at Leipzig. He was the conduct ...

(1810–1823) * Christian Theodor Weinlig (1823–1842) *

(1842–1868) * Ernst Friedrich Richter (1868–1879) *

Wilhelm Rust Wilhelm Rust (August 15, 1822 – May 2, 1892) was a German musicologist and composer. He is most noted today for his substantial contributions to the Bach Gesellschaft edition of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Born in Dessau, Rust studied ...

(1880–1892) * Gustav Schreck (1893–1918) *

Karl Straube Montgomery Rufus Karl Siegfried Straube (6 January 1873 – 27 April 1950) was a German church musician, organist, and choral conductor, famous above all for championing the abundant organ music of Max Reger. Career Born in Berlin, Straube stu ...

(1918–1939) *

Günther Ramin Günther Werner Hans Ramin (15 October 1898 – 27 February 1956) was an influential German organist, conductor, composer and pedagogue in the first half of the 20th century. Ramin, the son of a pastor, was born in Karlsruhe, Germany. At the a ...

(1939–1956) * Kurt Thomas (1957–1960) *

Erhard Mauersberger Erhard Mauersberger (29 December 1903 in Mauersberg, Saxony – 11 December 1982 in Leipzig) was a German choral conductor who conducted the Thomanerchor as the 14th Thomaskantor since Johann Sebastian Bach. He was also an academic teacher and ...

(1961–1972) *

Hans-Joachim Rotzsch Hans-Joachim Rotzsch (25 April 1929 – 25 September 2013) was a German choral conductor, conducting the Thomanerchor from 1972 until 1991 as the fifteenth Thomaskantor since Johann Sebastian Bach. He was also a tenor and an academic teacher. B ...

(1972–1991) *

(1992–2015) *

(2016–2021) (acting cantor 2015–2016) *

(2021–)

Famous Thomaner

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (8 March 1714 – 14 December 1788), also formerly spelled Karl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, and commonly abbreviated C. P. E. Bach, was a German Classical period musician and composer, the fifth child and sec ...

Diethard Hellmann Diethard Hellmann (28 December 1928 – 14 October 1999) was a German Kantor and an academic in Leipzig, Mainz and Munich. Professional career Born in Grimma, Dietmann Hellmann was a member of the Thomanerchor. He studied church music in Leipzig ...

Jörg-Peter Weigle Jörg-Peter Weigle (born 1953, in Greifswald), is a German conductor and music professor. He is the uncle of the conductor Sebastian Weigle and the violist Friedemann Weigle. Weigle received his first musical training from 1963 to 1971 as a memb ...

Die Prinzen Die Prinzen ("The Princes") is a German band, that is made up of former members of the Thomanerchor (the choir of the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, Germany, where Johann Sebastian Bach was music director for many years) and a former member of the D ...

* *

* * Reiner Süß *

* Martin Christian Vogel *

ensemble amarcord amarcord is a German male classical vocal ensemble based in Leipzig, founded in 1992 by five former members of the Thomanerchor. They primarily perform Medieval music, Renaissance music as well as collaborating with contemporary composers. Unt ...

Christoph Genz Christoph Genz (born 1 March 1971 in Erfurt) is a German tenor in opera and concert. Career Christoph Genz was a member of the Thomanerchor. He studied music at King's College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the King's College Choir. He s ...

Hanns-Martin Schneidt Hanns-Martin Schneidt (6 December 1930 – 28 May 2018
retrieved 5 June 2018) was a German c ...

* Matthias Weichert *

David Timm David Timm (born 24 April 1969) is a German pianist, organist, choral conductor and jazz musician. Since February 2005 he has been (University Music Director) of the Leipzig University, and thus also director of the Leipziger Universitätschor, ...

Martin Petzold Martin Petzold (25 June 1955 – 19 April 2023) was a German classical tenor who performed internationally in opera and concert. He was for decades a member of the Leipzig Opera, performing more than 80 roles such as Pedrillo in Mozart's ''Die ...

Films

* ''Das fliegende Klassenzimmer.'' Literal adaptation of

Erich Kästner Emil Erich Kästner (; 23 February 1899 – 29 July 1974) was a German writer, poet, screenwriter and satirist, known primarily for his humorous, socially astute poems and for children's books including '' Emil and the Detectives''. He received ...

's novel ''

The Flying Classroom ''The Flying Classroom'' (German: ''Das fliegende Klassenzimmer'') is a 1933 novel for children written by the German writer Erich Kästner. In the book Kästner took up the predominantly British genre of the school story, taking place in a b ...

''. Germany 2003. Director: Tomy Wigand. *
800 Years of Thomanerchor.
' Germany March 25, 2012, MDR Television (YouTube) * ''Die Thomaner'' Documentary film. Germany March 2012. Directors: Paul Smaczny, Günter Atteln.

Awards and recognition

Awards: * 2014

Preis der Europäischen Kirchenmusik The Preis der Europäischen Kirchenmusik is a German music prize awarded annually since 1999 by the Schwäbisch Gmünd Festival Europäische Kirchenmusik. Awards are given to excellent composers and artists for achievements in the field of sacred m ...

* 2012 ECHO Classic Award, Special award * 2011 Bach Prize of the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

(London) * 2002

Brahms Prize Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped with ...

of the

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped with ...

Society of

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sch ...

(German: ''Brahms Preis'') * Europäischer Kulturpreis für Chormusik State decorations: * Fatherland's Order of Merit in Gold, of

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

(German: ''Vaterländischer Verdienstorden'') Eponyms: * 1924 The asteroid

1023 Thomana 1023 Thomana, provisional designation , is a rare-type carbonaceous background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 58 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 25 June 1924, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at ...

discovered by

Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth (4 April 1892 in Heidelberg – 6 May 1979 in Heidelberg) was a German astronomer and a prolific discoverer of 395 minor planets. Scientific career From 1912 to 1957, Reinmuth was working as an astronomer at the Heide ...

was named after the boys' choir

References

Bibliography

* Horst List: ''Aus der Geschichte des Thomanerchores.'' Thomanerchor, Leipzig 1953. * Lenka von Koerber: ''Wir singen Bach. Der Thomanerchor und seine Kantoren.'' Urania-Verlag, Berlin 1954. * Horst List: ''Auf Konzertreise. Ein Buch von den Reisen des Leipziger Thomanerchores.'' Reich, Hamburg-Bergstedt 1957. * Richard Petzoldt: ''Der Leipziger Thomanerchor.''

Edition Leipzig Edition Leipzig was a publisher in the German Democratic Republic (GDR/DDR), which, for the most part, placed books on Western markets as an export publisher. This was intended to serve representative purposes as well as to procure foreign curr ...

, Leipzig 1962. * Bernhard Knick: ''St. Thomas zu Leipzig. Schule und Chor. Stätte des Wirkens von Johann Sebastian Bach. Bilder und Dokumente zur Geschichte der Thomasschule und des Thomanerchores mit ihren zeitgeschichtlichen Beziehungen. Mit einer Einführung von Manfred Mezger.'' Breitkopf & Härtel, Wiesbaden 1963. * Hans-Jochim Rothe: ''Thomanerchor zu Leipzig, Deutsche Demokratische Republik.'' Thomanerchor, Leipzig 1968. * Horst List: ''Der Thomanerchor zu Leipzig.'' Deutscher Verlag für Musik, Leipzig 1975. * Armin Schneiderheinze: ''Der Thomanerchor zu Leipzig.'' Thomanerchor, Leipzig 1982. * Wolfgang Hanke: ''Die Thomaner.'' Union-Verlag, Berlin 1985. * Stefan Altner, Roland Weise: ''Thomanerchor Leipzig. Almanach 1.'' 1996. * Gunter Hempel: ''Episoden um die Thomaskirche und die Thomaner.'' Tauchaer Verlag, Taucha 1997. * Michael Fuchs: ''Methoden der Frühdiagnostik des Eintrittszeitpunktes der Mutation bei Knabenstimmen. Untersuchungen bei Sängern des Thomanerchores Leipzig.'' 1997 * Stefan Altner: ''Thomanerchor und Thomaskirche. Historisches und Gegenwärtiges in Bildern.'' Tauchaer Verlag, Taucha 1998. *

, Stefan Altner: ''Thomaneralmanach 4. Beiträge zur Geschichte und Gegenwart des Thomanerchors.'' Passage-Verlag, Leipzig 2000. * Gert Mothes, Siegfried Stadler: ''Die Thomaner.'' Passage-Verlag, Leipzig 2004. * Stefan Altner: ''Das Thomaskantorat im 19. Jahrhundert. Bewerber und Kandidaten für das Leipziger Thomaskantorat in den Jahren 1842 bis 1918. Quellenstudien zur Entwicklung des Thomaskantorats und des Thomanerchors vom Wegfall der öffentlichen Singumgänge 1837 bis zur ersten Auslandsreise 1920.'' Passage-Verlag, Leipzig 2006. * Helga Mauersberger (ed.): ''Dresdner Kreuzchor und Thomanerchor Leipzig. Zwei Kantoren und ihre Zeit. Rudolf und Erhard Mauersberger.'' Druck- und Verlagsgesellschaft Marienberg, Marienberg 2007. *

Michael Maul Michael Maul (born 1978) is a German musicologist noted for his work on Johann Sebastian Bach. Maul was born in Leipzig, and is still based in the city, although his work at the Bach Archive has involved travel to archives and libraries across Germa ...

, ''Dero berühmbter Chor – Die Leipziger Thomasschule und ihre Kantoren 1212-1804'' Lehmstedt Verlag, Leipzig 2012.

External links

*
Thomanerchor
on Leipzig Online * Johan van Veen

(CD review) musicweb-international.com November 2011 {{Authority control Organisations based in Leipzig Musical groups established in the 13th century Organizations established in the 1210s Music in Leipzig Boys' and men's choirs Bach choirs Choirs of children German choirs Winners of the Royal Academy of Music/ Kohn Foundation Bach Prize 1210s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1212 establishments in Europe 1210s establishments in Germany German church music St. Thomas School, Leipzig