“Night of house music” in Leipzig, Germany
On Sat., Nov. 23, 2024, our sister congregation in Leipzig, Germany, participated in an annual citywide event sponsored by a cultural group called the Leipzig Music Trail Association. Lu Hirsch, a member of Holy Trinity Congregation, organized the event. Read Lu’s description:
Every year the Leipzig Music Trail Association organizes a “Night of House Music.” Hosts open their homes, stores, rooms, and museums to enjoy music together. The event always takes place the evening before the last Sunday of the church year at 7:00 p.m.
Those who wish to host a concert register with the association. They tell how many musicians and which instruments will be featured. The association posts all the concerts on its website, and people can sign up to attend concerts throughout the city.
This year, our congregation, Holy Trinity, hosted a concert for the second time.
Fifteen amateur musicians from our congregation play many different instruments: piano, organ, violin, flute, trumpet, bass clarinet, cello, and double bass. We were able to perform very different pieces from baroque to classical to klezmer.
During a short intermission, we had opportunity to talk to our guests. A woman who also attended last year particularly enjoyed the many young musicians and the variety of music. She was also interested in our congregation, church services, and other events we might host.
Other than a large cross on the outside, our church building looks much like a regular house, so it is always important to make people aware of the congregation here.
The Night of House Music is a good opportunity to invite music lovers and interested people into our worship space to talk about our faith and our hope.
I was honored to attend the Night of House Music at our Leipzig congregation and play a small part. These were my five favorite takeaways:
1. An outreach opportunity especially suited to Leipzig! Leipzig has long celebrated music and musicians. Bach and Mendelssohn spent significant portions of their careers in Leipzig. Mendelssohn founded Germany’s first music conservatory in Leipzig. Here he trained musicians for the city’s orchestra, which he conducted. Leipzig’s prominence as a book and music publishing center from the 18th to the 20th centuries drew composers to the city as well. The love of music lives on! Every weekend the old cathedrals downtown are filled for nearly free concerts by local choirs and instrumentalists. The opera and symphony hold places of honor. Friends gather in their homes to play music and sing together. Leipzigers love music and appreciate musicians! What could be better than a concert to invite the neighborhood into church?
2. A lay-led evangelism effort. The musicians of our Leipzig congregation took the initiative and conducted the event from start to finish, freeing their pastor for other important work. The musicians acted as hosts for the concert, not only introducing the pieces being played, but describing how we gather in this same room every Sunday morning to listen to God’s Word in the Bible, sing hymns, pray, and grow in our faith.
3. More than a third of the musicians were kids! I loved listening to the children and teenagers of the congregation gladly sharing their musical gifts with the neighborhood.
4. More than intermission . . . halfway through the concert, the musicians and guests enjoyed fellowship and refreshments, a valuable time to talk together and make connections with the community.
5. A fun day for the musicians! The musicians came early in the day to rehearse and set up the church for the concert. We enjoyed the afternoon of visiting, decorating, coffee-drinking, and eating together before the guests arrived for the concert. Growing together as a congregation was the icing on the cake!
Written by Jennifer Wolfgramm, wife of world missionary on the Europe One Team, and Lu Hirsch.
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