Schöneberger Sängerknaben
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Schöneberger Sängerknaben were a German boys choir from Berlin, named after the "Bezirk Schöneberg". The choir performed with about 30 boys at a time. They wore short black trousers, black blazers with emblems, white shirts and white knee socks. The repertoire initially included German folk songs, Berlin popular songs and Schlager, later also opera choruses and other classical works.
The Schöneberger Sängerknaben was founded by Gerhard Hellwig on 12 November 1947. Hellwig trained the boys and initially sang with them in old people's homes, hospitals and in Berlin squares. Only two years after its foundation, the then manager of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Heinz Tietjen, brought the choir into his house and engaged it for the performance of the opera Tannhäuser by Richard Wagner. This was the prelude to more than 3100 opera performances in over 50 different productions in several languages, including, from 1954, the Bayreuth Festival, whose artistic organisation office Gerhard Hellwig headed from 1959.
In 1956, the young singers were featured in the film Hochzeit auf Immenhof and a year later also in Ferien auf Immenhof with songs by Hans-Martin Majewski. In 1958, the choir sang the first song of the Deutsche Fernsehlotterie, Kleine Leute, große Reise. Five years later, the choir accompanied the singer Bully Buhlan on his song Junge Herzen haben Sehnsucht, the song of the ARD television lottery in 1963. The versatile choir, which among other things recorded an LP with Manuela with songs from fairy tale land, was featured in numerous television events.[1]
In addition to its many performances and engagements, the choir has also undertaken over 300 concert tours, taking it to many countries in Europe and overseas, including the Montreal Expo 67 in 1967.
Dissolution of the choir
Successful titles
- Auf Wiedersehen
- Pack die Badehose ein with Cornelia Froboess
- Berliner Jungens, die sind richtig
- Unsere Stadt hört doch nicht am Brandenburger Tor auf
