Aachener Domchor

Aachener Domchor (Aachen Cathedral choir) is the oldest boys' choir in Germany and one of the oldest in the world. It is based at the Aachen Cathedral in Aachen, a former capital of the Carolingian Empire. The year 782 is given for its founding by Charlemagne and Alcuin of York. Under a succession of directors, the choir gained an international reputation, benefiting from an associated school. Since 2000, the Domchor has been directed by Berthold Botzet.

Aachener Domchor
Choir
OriginAachen Cathedral
Founded782
Genreboys' choir
Chief conductorBerthold Botzet
Websitedommusik-aachen.de/ensembles/
Interior of Aachen Cathedral

History

The Aachener Domchor is the oldest boys' choir in Germany and one of the oldest in the world. It is based at the Aachen Cathedral in Aachen, a former capital of the Carolingian Empire. The choir is sometimes also identified using its Latin name, Cappella Carolina. The choir dates back more than 1200 years, with the year 782 given for its founding.[1] It served church music at the cathedral for the court of Charlemagne. The choir school (schola cantorum) was founded by the emperor and Alcuin of York, and was known then as the Schola Palatina, the "Palatinate Choir".[2]

Under a succession of Kapellmeister (choir directors, literally: "chapel masters"), the Aachener Domchor gained an international reputation, benefiting musically and in terms of support from important individuals from close collaboration with the medieval monastic school, today the Aachen Cathedral Choir School (Aachener Domsingschule),[3] and also from cooperation with the Katholische Hochschule für Kirchenmusik St. Gregorius,[4] founded in 1881,[5] and the first school for organists in western Germany with boarding facilities (closed 2007).

Since 2000, the Domchor has been directed by Berthold Botzet.[2][6] Botzet is assisted by the cathedral cantor, who is also in charge of the girls' choir at Aachen Cathedral: Marco Fühner was appointed to this post in July 2013.[7]

The choir tours internationally, and has collaborated with other boys' choirs and youth choirs in Europe. It was awarded the Kaiser Karl IV Medal, an Aachen cultural prize, in 2013, together with the youth choir Svonky from Prague.[6]

Kapellmeister

Leading directors of the music in stift and cathedral (kapellmeister) have included:

  • 16th century: Johannes Mangon (1525–1578) (cantor and Stiftskapellmeister)
  • 1745–1772 Anton Joseph Lacand
  • 1835–1840 Anton Felix Schindler (municipal music director
  • 1864–1891 Heinrich Böckeler (from 1881 director of the Gregoriushaus)
  • 1891–1913 Franz Nekes
  • 1913–1918 Johannes Mölders
  • 1918–1924 Leo Wachten
  • 1924–1963 Theodor Bernhard Rehmann (1945–1946 interim municipal Generalmusikdirektor (GMD))
  • 1964–1986 Rudolf Pohl
  • 1986–2000 Hans-Josef Roth
  • from 2000 Berthold Botzet

References
  1. "Aachener Domchor (Aachener Domsingknaben)". knabenchorarchiv.org (in German). Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  2. "Aachener Domchor". Kulturserver NRW (in German). Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  3. "Domsingschule Aachen". Domsingschule Aachen (in German). 7 December 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  4. "St. Gregorius in Aachen". Deutschlandfunk (in German). 31 May 2001. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  5. "Katholische Hochschule für Kirchenmusik St. Gregorius". Theapolis (in German). Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  6. "Konzertankündigung: Aachener Domchor gibt Konzert in St. Georg". RP ONLINE (in German). 11 June 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  7. "Dommusiker". Dommusik Aachen, Das Erlebnis von Klang und Raum (in German). 21 December 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2021.

Further reading
  • Rudolf Pohl: Musik im Dom zu Aachen. 1200 Jahre Chorschule am Hofe Karls des Großen. Aachen 1981, pp. 3–18.
  • August Brecher: Musik im Aachener Dom in zwölf Jahrhunderten. Einhard, Aachen 1998, ISBN 3-930701-57-X (260 p., illustrated).
  • Lutz Felbick (1993). Daten der Aachener Musikgeschichte. Aachen. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
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