Chor mit großer Orgel

In the organizer's words:

Antonín Dvořák's Mass in D major, Brahms, Hennig and Hakim at the Philharmonie Berlin

For 120 years now, the Berlin Oratorio Choir (BOC) has stood for innovative programs and high artistic standards. With this year's autumn concert, the choir remains true to its intention of bringing together sacred and secular music, newer and more familiar older works to offer the audience a diverse listening experience with - perhaps surprising - reciprocal references.

At the upcoming performance on October 12, 2025, 3:30 pm in the Berlin Philharmonie, two masses will be juxtaposed: the Mass in D major by Antonín Dvořák from the 19th century (1887) and the Mass Solennelle by the French composer Naji Hakim, composed around 100 years later (1999). Both are scored for choir and organ. In this concert program, these two sacred works are combined with secular songs from the 19th and 21st centuries: Johannes Brahms set texts from "literary romanticism" in his Gesänge für Frauenchor (1860) and Thomas Hennig chose a worldwide slogan against the threat to women's freedom (once in Kurdish and once in Persian) as the basis of two pieces for alto and mixed choir in 2024. They are individual titles from the collection "Geminiden 23".

The performers are the soloists Iphigenie Worbes (soprano), Gundula Hintz (alto), Myungwon Kim (tenor), Haakon Schaub (bass), Daniel Seeger (organ), the chamber ensemble of the New Prussian Philharmonic, the Berlin Oratorio Choir and conductor Thomas Hennig.

Tickets from 19 euros to 39 euros (plus additional costs if applicable) are available from Ticketmaster, Eventim, the usual advance booking offices or via the BOC ticket telephone (030) 547 34 943, www.berliner-oratorienchor.de, tickets@berliner-oratorienchor.de.

The Berlin Oratorio Choir - one of the oldest amateur choirs in the city

Since its foundation in 1904, the Berliner Oratorien-Chor - then known as the Berliner Volks-Chor - has made it its mission to perform both popular and lesser-known works of choral symphonic music in order to bring them to a wider audience. This type of repertoire is probably the most elaborate type of choral music, as it requires not only a large choir but also an orchestra, which in turn requires a sufficiently large stage and a correspondingly large number of seats for the paying audience. This means that every performance by the Berlin Oratorio Choir involves a great deal of organizational and financial effort. Self-organized performances regularly take place in the Berlin Philharmonie and the Konzerthaus Berlin - in addition to numerous collaborations and guest appearances. Between 1958 and 2008, the choir established itself in Berlin's musical life under the direction of Gert Sell and was awarded the Zelter Plaque for the cultivation of choral music in 2004. Thomas Hennig took over as artistic director in 2008. With its innovative programs and high artistic standards, the choir remains a pioneering institution and currently has around 80 active members from a wide range of backgrounds and generations.

Price information:

Ticket prices: €39, €37, €34, €30, €25, €19 (plus additional costs if applicable) Tickets available from Ticketmaster, Eventim, the usual advance booking offices or via www.berliner-oratorienchor.de, tickets@berliner-oratorienchor.de. Reduced tickets at €10 are available for schoolchildren, students and wheelchair spaces. Ticket telephone: (030) 547 34 943