Hans Sandig (Choral Conductor)

Born: June 21, 1914 - Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
Died: September 23, 1989

The outstanding German choral conductor, conductor, composer and arranger, Hans Sandig, Sandy studied musicology, psychology and composition, and his doctorate 1938.

1948 Hans Sandig took over the function of the music speaker at the Mitteldeutschen Rundfunk (Central German Broadcasting). In the same year he founded the Rundfunk-Kinderchor Leipzig (now MDR Kinderchor = MDR Children's Choir), which he directed until his death in 1989. Later he took over also the Radio-DDR-Jugendchor. Both ensembles were recognized throughout Europe.

In charge of the radio children's choir, with whom he wrote a major chapter in radio history. Sind die Lichter angezündet is one of the best-loved of his many compositions, which he dedicated to the children of the choir and with which today's generation of 50-year olds grew up. This carol is the motto of the traditional Christmas concerts at the Leipzig Gewandhaus every year. In 1958, HE performed with his singers, the first theme song of the TV show Unser Sandmännchen. The members of the choirs directed by Sanding were, inter alia, Tom Pauls, Else Buschheuer and Norbert Bischoff.

As of 1949, the emergence of the Pionierchors des MDR with its director Gerd Schlotter began, initially under the name Junge Funkgruppe. All new pioneer songs of the Eastern bloc were first broadcast by the Leipzig station in the GDR. 1951, now under the des Mitteldeutschen Rundfunks Sender Leipzig participated in the 3rd World Festival of Youth and Students in Berlin. Together with the Jugendchor des MDR selections from Chorwerk Herrnburger Bericht by Brecht / Paul Dessau was first performed under the overall guidance of Hans Sandig.

Works

Beobachtungen an Zweiklängen in getrenntohriger und beidohriger Darbietung: Ein Beitrag zur Theorie der Konsonanz. Beigefügt in: Albert Wellek: Gefühl und Kunst. München: C. H. Beck 1939 (Phantasie und Kunst; H. 1; Neue psychologische Studien; Bd. 14, H. 1), zugl. Leipzig, Phil. Diss.
(mit Inge Kalisch) Die Abenteuer der kleinen Trompete: Eine klingende Instrumentenkunde f. Kinder. Sprecher: Rolf Ludwig. Trompete: Walter Kauerauf. Berlin: Deutsche Schallplatten, Eterna 1964 [mit Text- und Bildbeilage]
Autos, Schiffe, Eisenbahnen: ein musikalisches Kinderbuch. Text: Ingeborg Kalisch; Musik: Hans Sandig. Berlin: Lied der Zeit 1974
Besuch im Zoo: Eine heitere Tierliederfolge für Kindersolostimmen, Sprecher, ein- bis dreistimmigen Kinderchor und Instrumente. Text: Richard Hambach; Musik: Hans Sandig. Berlin: VEB Deutsche Schallplatten, NOVA 1975

Source: MDR Children's Choir Website; German Wikepedia Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (July 2014)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (October 2005); Matthias Hansen (May 2014)

Hans Sandig: Short Biography | Recordings of Vocal Works

Links to other Sites

The MDR Children's Choir [English/German]

Haans Sandig (Wikipedia) [German]