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The Lübecker Knabenkantorei an St. Marien (= LKK; Lübeck Boys’ Choir at St. Mary's) is a German boys’ choir from Lübeck. The choir which consists today of about 100 members (SATB), was founded in winter 1947, by the choral music teacher George Goebel (1909-1987) at the Cathedral (Dom) High School . During 1948, the choir was open to students from other schools. The first Christmas Singing on December 21, 1948 at the Reformierten Kirche became the official birth of the Boys' Choir. This first appearance was under the name of Lübecker Kantorei. This traditional "birthday-concert" takes place until today on two advent evenings with more than a thousand listeners.
Since 1951 the LKK went regularly in the fall to concert tours. In the spring of 1952, more than 1,000 listeners heard at the Jakobikirche. J.S. Bach’s Johannes-Passion (BWV 245) - an event that was soon to develop a tradition. In 1954 the name was changed in Lübecker Knabenkantorei in order to emphasize its character as a boy's choir. Since 1956, the boys' voices singing along the lines of the Stuttgarter Hymnus-Chorknaben in a sort of gown with a white collar on the dress of Carolers -inspired singer.
After the departure of George Goebel from Lübeck in 1961, the music teacher took over the Johanneum and former Kantorist Hans-Jürgen Wille (1930-2004), as director of the LKK. In 1966, with the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester under Karl Münchinger, the LKK recorded J.S. Bach’s Weihnachts-Oratorium (BWV 248).
From conversations between Hans-Jürgen Wille and Marienpastor Hans-Joachim Thilo out of the choir was founded in 1970 the Lübecker Knabenkantorei an St. Marien, and Wille became the Kantor of Marienkirche.
The choir sings regularly on Sundays and other days of services for church celebration. Simultaneously the choir is blessed with one of the city's biggest concert halls. The performance of the Johannes-Passion (BWV 245) within conventional religious services in the Good Friday afternoon has become a Lübeckan tradition., and so is Christmas singing in the Christmas season.
A major foreign trip in 1972 led to Great Britain, where the LKK sang as part of Lübeck Week in Coventry Cathedral sang. In 1984 the choir received the Culture Prize of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck. In 1998, the 50th Anniversary, there was a foreign concert tour to the East Coast of the USA with concerts in Boston, New York City and a joint meeting with the major American Boychoir in the university town of Princeton (New Jersey). In 1998, Hans-Jürgen Wille wanted to put the choir directing in younger hands. A selection committee chose Michael D. Müller, who took over direction in 1999. Since 2009, a girls' choir is built parallel to the boy.
The a cappella literature ranging from Renaissance to Modern is in the core of the LKK repertoire. Walter Kraft dedicated to the choir his Te Deum. Emphasis is given to performances of oratorios and cantatas by J.S. Bach and Dietrich Buxtehude, as well as worship music. Since taking office, Michael D. Müller expanded the repertoire to man choral literatutre and opened it to the English cathedral choir music. The LKK also participates in in opera performances at the Theater Lübeck. In 2010, the choir received the second Award in the category of "boys' choirs, mixed voices" of the German choir competition.
The discography of LKK includes: J.S. Bach’s Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248 (Decca, 1966); Für ein Fest der Sinne (Weihnachtssingen) (2003), J.S. Bach: Johannes-Passion BWV 245 (2005 and 2012); Zwischen Himmel und Erde (current repertoire in 27 titles, 2008). |
