Singing on Schiller-Sonntag
If there's one message that Webster drilled into my brain for eternity, it's "Be involved!" And since I had some extra time while Fabian was gone, I began attending Messiah-Singers practice again. For those of you who don't know, it's a gospel choir organized by the Großbottwar Evangelical church. We sing German and English songs/hymns/spirituals either as a capella harmonies or accompanied by our rock band.
Rejoining the choir was a wonderful excuse to spend time with Marlene, Uli and Philina, and I figured I would meet new people. Turns out the choir has grown! Where we used to just have 1 bass and 1 tenor, we now have 8 men with wonderful voices. There were a few familiar faces, but only 1 or 2 people were left from the time I took part in the choir six years ago. So as far as meeting new people goes, mission accomplished!
We had our first performance of the fall yesterday during Schiller Sonntag - the one Sunday of the year where all the shops in Marbach are opem. Street vendors line the cobblestone to sell curry sausage and Glühwein, a sort of Christmassy wine punch (available at most Aldi's in America if you watch for it around December), and at different spots in the city there are small stages set up where people read passages of Schiller's works. Our performance was in the Kriessparkasse - the huge and modern new bank building on Güntterstraße.
The museums were also open, with no entry fees. Fabi climbed the Marbach tower, all the way to the little balcony I've outlined in this photo. At the top, we met two lovely elderly couples from Saarland (another region of Germany). They were literature enthusiasts who came for the National Lit Museum. From the balcony, Fabi pointed out the different churches in town. He told them the story of how Queen Elizabeth accidentally ended up touring Marbach am Neckar in 1965, when her trip planners accidentally sent her there instead of Marbach auf der Schwäbischen Alb, which is famous for its beautiful steeds. She rode through our Marbach, dissapointedly saying "Where are the horses?"
It was getting dark by that point (around 4:45 p.m.) so Fabian and I made our way back to the car and drove home to Kleinbottwar. It had been a cool and rainy day, but we didn't feel it because of all the warmth and life huddled in the streets in Marbach. We arrived home just in time to see the St. Martin's Day parade make their way through Kleinbottwar, complete with marching band and flaming torches! So many different things to celebrate on a single Sunday.
Rejoining the choir was a wonderful excuse to spend time with Marlene, Uli and Philina, and I figured I would meet new people. Turns out the choir has grown! Where we used to just have 1 bass and 1 tenor, we now have 8 men with wonderful voices. There were a few familiar faces, but only 1 or 2 people were left from the time I took part in the choir six years ago. So as far as meeting new people goes, mission accomplished!We had our first performance of the fall yesterday during Schiller Sonntag - the one Sunday of the year where all the shops in Marbach are opem. Street vendors line the cobblestone to sell curry sausage and Glühwein, a sort of Christmassy wine punch (available at most Aldi's in America if you watch for it around December), and at different spots in the city there are small stages set up where people read passages of Schiller's works. Our performance was in the Kriessparkasse - the huge and modern new bank building on Güntterstraße.
We performed for 30 minutes at 2 pm, then another 30 minutes at 3:15. In between we ate pizza and apple cake at the Evang. community house, and sang little songs in harmony in the foyer to attract more audience members. Uli directed us with his typical jumpy, passionate, smiling precision - and we ROCKED that bank! The audience stood clapping on three floors! Margit came to see our first performance and Fabian was present for the second, after which we walked around town together to check out the other festivities.
The museums were also open, with no entry fees. Fabi climbed the Marbach tower, all the way to the little balcony I've outlined in this photo. At the top, we met two lovely elderly couples from Saarland (another region of Germany). They were literature enthusiasts who came for the National Lit Museum. From the balcony, Fabi pointed out the different churches in town. He told them the story of how Queen Elizabeth accidentally ended up touring Marbach am Neckar in 1965, when her trip planners accidentally sent her there instead of Marbach auf der Schwäbischen Alb, which is famous for its beautiful steeds. She rode through our Marbach, dissapointedly saying "Where are the horses?"
I helped Fabi explain the geography and eventually it came out that I am from the U.S. Our new friends complimented my German and were curious about how I came to live here, so I told them about the IFC and my ten months attending school in Marbach.
It was getting dark by that point (around 4:45 p.m.) so Fabian and I made our way back to the car and drove home to Kleinbottwar. It had been a cool and rainy day, but we didn't feel it because of all the warmth and life huddled in the streets in Marbach. We arrived home just in time to see the St. Martin's Day parade make their way through Kleinbottwar, complete with marching band and flaming torches! So many different things to celebrate on a single Sunday.
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