Frieden: Songs of Peace Ensemble Fimmadur

• Fredo Jung (b. 1949):
• 1 O Herr, mach mich zu einem Werkzeug deines Friedens 05:01
• Gregor Meyer (b. 1979):
• 2 Of the Creator 05:36
• Friedrich Jopp (b. 1995):
• 3 Friede 04:16
• Marcus Ludwig (b. 1960): Lichtensteiner Soldatenlieder:
• 4 Lichtensteiner Soldatenlieder: No. 1, — 01:36
• 5 Lichtensteiner Soldatenlieder: No. 2, — 01:49
• 6 Lichtensteiner Soldatenlieder: No. 3, — 00:55
• 7 Lichtensteiner Soldatenlieder: No. 4, — 01:14
• 8 Lichtensteiner Soldatenlieder: No. 5, — 02:08
• Manuel Durao (b. 1987):
• 9 Losgerissen von den Sternen 04:17
• Georg Christoph Biller (b. 1955):
• 10 Herr, auf dich traue ich 03:31
• 11 Verleih uns Frieden 02:45
• Bruce Springsteen (1919 - 2014) & Pete Seeger (b. 1949):
• 12 We Shall Overcome 04:54
• Leonard Cohen (1934 - 2016):
• 13 Hallelujah (Arr. for Mixed Chorus) 02:56
• Leo Brauneiss (b. 1961):
• 14 Irish Prayer 03:48
• Total Runtime 44:46

Info for Frieden: Songs of Peace

Some topics will never be fully discussed. Peace is one of them. Mankind has always asked itself the question of how peace can be achieved. On the other hand, war has accompanied our history ever since the beginning. Is violent contention really a fundamental component of human nature? Is peace really that hard to attain? Where should we start searching for peace? In social affairs or religions? Or in one’s own life? It is difficult to keep an overview of all these unsolved questions.

Ensemble fimmadur entrusted several composers from Leipzig with approaching the topic “peace” in a musical way. Six commissioned pieces were written and recorded for this CD. They are accompanied by two compositions by the former master of St. Thomas Boys’ Choir, Georg Christoph Biller. Furthermore, Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”, arranged by Stefan Nagy and Jonathan Wikeley as well as an own version of “We Shall Overcome” by Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen are part of this recording.

Ensemble fimmadur

Ensemble fimmadur
In 2009 five former members of the St. Thomas Boys‘ Choir ofLeipzig founded ensemble fimmadur. The pleasure of makingmusic together inspired the singers to do so also outside thechoir’s routine. Since then nothing has changed. In doing so, ithas always been a heartfelt wish of the young singers to carrya message in their music.

The ensemble’s repertoire covers the whole bandwidth ofvocal music. Their programmes span folk tune arrangements,soft pop music, polyphonic works of the renaissance era andcontemporary compositions, and their own arrangementsalways play an important role.

The present quintett attained its special identity with alineup change in 2012. Since then Mezzosoprano MariaUhlemann has sung with the four young men, giving theensemble its characteristic sound. This rare lineup enables theensemble to sing pieces with diverse timbres and interpretits varied programmes with a uniquely individual nimbleness.After passing her final school examinations, Maria startedstudying NutritionalSciences at Potsdam university.

Alto singer Oskar Didt is one of the founding members andoccasionally also sings baritone. He has already composed andarranged several pieces for the ensemble. Since October 2015Oskar has been studying psychology in Leipzig. His brotherKonrad Didt also received his first musical training throughSt. Thomas Boys’ Choir. In 2009 he eagerly took the opportunityto sing music from other genres and has been a part ofthe ensemblesince then. Konrad sings tenor and, just like hisbrother, is compositionally active.Julius Sattler and Johannes Gründel share ensemblefimmadur’s musical management. They had already workedclosely together during their time in St. Thomas Boys’ Choir.As music prefects from grade eleven on they took overmany choral leadership tasks. Julius also found pleasure incomposing from an early age. After his school examinationshe studied mechanical engineering and is currently trainingto become a pilot.

As a boy Johannes Gründel was assigned solo parts, forinstance as one of the child-spirits in Mozart’s “Magic Flute”.In 2015 Johannes began his studies of music and religions inLeipzig and in 2019 continued to study church music in Halle(Saale). His unmistakable bass voice provides the ensemblewith its musical foundations.Highlights from the ensemble’s ten years of performingtogetherinclude; their first CD “Porträt” from 2012; in thesame year they also performed live for German televisionduring the European football championship. Alongside numerousconcerts, church services and private performancesin Germany and abroad, the ensemble toured the UnitedKingdom in 2016 with concerts in Winchester Cathedral,Great St. Mary’s in Cambridge and other locations. In 2017 theensemble participated in the International a-cappella Contestin Leipzig, also featuring a performance at the Gewandhausconcert hall.

Booklet for Frieden: Songs of Peace