Brannenburg – A packed wendelsteinhalle was the venue for a special concert uniting choirs from Kobarid, Slovenia, and local ensembles from Brannenburg. The event, a testament to cross-border collaboration, showcased a diverse program ranging from traditional folk songs to contemporary pieces.

The concert was made possible by Colonel Ad Manfred Benkel, formerly stationed at the Karfreitkaserne in Brannenburg, who fostered connections between the municipality of Kobarid (known as Karfreit in German) and local music groups.The eager audience filled every seat to witness performances by the mixed choir St.Anton and the octet Simon Gregorcic from Kobarid, alongside the local Inncanto choir, the Brannenburg church choir, and men’s choirs from Degerndorf and brannenburg.

Bernhard Kreuz, chairman, and Erik Mack, choir director of MGV Brannenburg, warmly welcomed the guests as co-organizers. The “Four Young Hinterberg Musicians” kicked off the event with the “Gradlspitz Polka.” MGV Brannenburg-schloß, led by Erik Mack, then delighted the audience with “Welcome here and today” by Thibaut, followed by a powerful rendition of “When d’Mannerleit Singan.”

The choir of St. Anton from Kobarid, under the direction of Matej Kavcic, made their highly anticipated debut with the Slovenian folk song “Oblaki so rdeci – the clouds are red,” performed with great feeling. their performance of “Signore delle Cime – Lord of the summit” by Giuseppe de Marzi, interpreted with reverence, was equally well-received.

Brannenburg Mayor Matthias Jokisch expressed his delight at welcoming the Slovenian guests, acknowledging the slight communication challenges. He praised the vocal community initiative, which strengthened ties with Kobarid, a neighboring community. The Brannenburg church choir, led by Rudi Hitzler, shifted the tone with a spiritual song, “living word” by Kathi Stimmer-Salzeder, showcasing a home-typical rhythm with the repeated “the Huistata.”

The octet Simon Gregorcic,led by Matej kavcic,conveyed the essence of their home river with the song “Soci – for the Soca.” They also delivered an expressive performance of “OJ, zbogom Ti, Planinski Svet – Oh, live well, you mountains,” a melodic piece celebrating the love for the mountains by Simon Gregorcic and Jakob Aljaz.

The MGV Degerndorf, under choir director Kayo Hashimoto, offered a refreshing change of pace with “Now catch the lovely Fruah year o,” followed by the lively and cheerful “Hoi, Hoi, Lumpenschuah.” The “4 young hinterberger” musicians spread good cheer with the “Hanni Polka” and the evergreen “Vienna remains Vienna.”

The stage was then graced by the “Inncanto Choir,” a large group of women led by Kayo Hashimoto. They captivated the audience with the folk song “If I go through the valley” and Amanda McBroom’s sensual pop song “The Rose.” The octet Simon Gregorcic received enthusiastic applause for their performance of “Frosch wedding – Zabja Svatba,” accompanied by humorous choreography.

To conclude the concert, the mixed Choir St. Anton performed Heinrich Pfeil’s “Still rests the lake” in German and, reflecting the ancient connections during the Habsburg era, the moving song “I have a comrade.” As a much-requested encore, the Kobarid choir offered a Carinthian folk song, “NMAV Criez Jizaro – About the Lake.” Chairman Bernhard Kreuz then thanked the audience and all participants.

The event culminated in a joint performance of the “song of Bayern,” symbolizing the camaraderie between all the choirs and expressing the audience’s gratitude.