Regensburger Domspatzen
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The Regensburger Domspatzen (Regensburg Cathedral Choir) is the official choir for the liturgical music at St. Peter's Cathedral in Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany. The choir consists of boys and young men only.
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[edit] History and organization
The choir traces its origins back to the year 975 when bishop Wolfgang of Regensburg founded a cathedral school that – among other things – instructed boys to sing in the liturgy. The more than 1,000-year history of the chorus knew its ups and downs. In the 20th century, however, the Domspatzen became world-famous, especially through the achievement of the two directors who were to shape them during that century: Theobald Schrems (Domkapellmeister 1924-1964) and Georg Ratzinger (Domkapellmeister 1964-1994).
Schrems laid the institutional foundation that enabled the choir’s success by giving the Dompsatzen their current institutional makeup: a boarding school for boys aged 10-19, a private secondary school with emphasis on musical education for them, and the choir at the center of the structure. That way the boys can sing and learn under the same roof, which allows for greater efficiency and thus also helps to avoid exhaustion of the students. Ratzinger oversaw the choir becoming a stable concert presence and consolidated and enhanced its quality. Since 1994 Roland Büchner has been Domkapellmeister, after centuries the first layman at the job. He has so far continued the success story of the chorus.
[edit] Recordings
The Choir made numerous recordings (e.g. J. S. Bach: Christmas Oratory, J .S. Bach: Mottetes, H. Schütz: Psalms of David; G. F. Handel: The Messiah) and concert tours throughout the world (among others to the USA, Scandinavia, Canada, Taiwan, Japan, Ireland, Poland, Hungary and the Vatican; and a tour through Germany every year).
[edit] Performances
The chorus performed in honor of Queen Elizabeth II at her State Visit to Germany in 1978, and at Pope John Paul II’s visit to Munich in 1980, they also gave a concert for the state guests at the NATO-summit in 1982 under the auspices of then German president Karl Carstens. In 2006 they gave a concert in the Vatican City for Pope Bendikt XVI, the brother of the former Domkapellmeister Georg Ratzinger. The main purpose of the choir, however, still today is the music in the liturgy of St. Peter, where the religious services of Holy Week constitute the prime event of the liturgical, and thus also the musical, year.
