A gospel festival on a city square, an organ expedition across the city, and a classical concert in a church: New Apostolic Christians either invite people in or go out to meet them. Here are three examples that show how music breaks down barriers.
Right into the heart of the festival
Some 380 singers, a central square, and a huge crowd: in early May, the Youth Choir from Southern Germany gave its first major performance since being established as a permanent ensemble. And it took them straight into the heart of the European Gospel Festival in Stuttgart.
More than five thousand singers from over two hundred choirs and 23 countries had travelled there for the event. For three days, Stuttgart became a place for gospel music. And right in the middle of it all: the New Apostolic Youth Choir.
After the dress rehearsal at the Stuttgart-South church, the choir walked into the city. On the steps of the Art Museum, right on Schlossplatz, they performed “I live in Christ, He lives in me”, “Coming back to my Lord”, “Trust and obey”, and Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus”.
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Photos: Nico Eberle
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Organ pipes set the tone
A few months later and a few hundred kilometres further north: in Herford, the music is not centred on a central square, but takes music lovers from church to church. Twelve concerts in various places of worship are on the programme for the Herford Organ Summer between the end of July and September. There will also be city walks, a late-night concert, and an organ concert for children.
The New Apostolic Church is one of the hosts. On 16 August, the programme there is “In dir ist Freude” (Joy is within you), featuring organist Benjamin Gruchow. And on 22 September, “The Little Ugly Bird”, with Tabea Fuhr at the organ and narrator Annina Ligniez, is aimed especially at children.
The New Apostolic congregation thus becomes part of Herford’s religious landscape. Different denominations, different venues, different instruments—and yet a shared purpose: listening and experiencing music and praising God.
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Photos: Günter Lohsträter
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When the church becomes a concert hall
The fact that music can bring people together in a completely different way was already demonstrated back in May in Bochum, Germany. It was the Bochum Symphony Orchestra itself that had asked whether the New Apostolic Church Bochum-Central could serve as a venue for its “BoSy vor Ort”—a live community concert. The response spoke for itself: around 250 people turned up.
Ravel, Elgar, Stravinsky, Koussevitzky, Brahms, and Rachmaninoff were on the programme. Soloists and small ensembles presented a programme ranging from classical to contemporary music. The Brahms song “O Tod, wie bitter bist du” (O death, how bitter you are) created a particularly solemn moment. A member of the orchestra, the double bass, dedicated it to a colleague and friend who had passed away shortly before.
In his welcome address, Jörg Escher, the rector of the congregation, summed up what the evening was intended to communicate: that music has the power to build bridges, especially in situations where bringing people together is difficult. After the concert, the gathering continued over light refreshments and drinks; the proceeds from the evening went to the Bochum Emergency Pastoral Care Service.