The Owl's Nest: "Raumauge" (Performance of Aalen Chamber Choir)

program flyer with poster artwork on the title

The last posting was about "shooting the moon", and today I would like to report on my attendance of an outstanding cultural performance. A colleague of mine, who incidentally started her new job on the very same day as I did, is an avid vocal performer, and so she has joined the local Aalen Chamber Choir. The latter is quite special in that the members assemble only about once per month (usually on a Saturday) for a full day of practice, and they give concerts only twice a year (but then usually the same show several times in a row). So it is a rather rare pleasure to experience this choir, but a pleasure it is indeed!

The show I attended took place in an old smitty in Wasseralfingen, an incorporated part of Aalen. This industrial setting was an excellent choice and a good match for the rather modern than classical program. The Aalen Chamber Choir was supported by the choir of a local school, by special music classes of that school, and by a percussion ensemble. The show was more than two hours in total, and it was totally worth the money! The school choir was the opening act, and within just a few moments it was obvious why they had received even international invitations. The other performers also convinced me of their superior skills, as most of the pieces were quite demanding technically. By the way, the central piece, "Raumauge", represents the monologue of Prometheus while he is shackled to a rock and his liver is being eaten by an eagle. It involves more screaming than singing, which nevertheless was delivered impressively! But my secret favorite were the two Mexican songs, one about waiting and longing for the rain to come, and the second about its actual arrival. Beautiful!

Below are a few pictures to give you an overall impression of that night.