Bonhoeffer Project: Dietrich B. 2025

Sunday, 23 February, 3 pm

Big Schoolroom, Sydney Grammar School
College Street, Darlinghurst

Join Sydney Chamber Choir and award-winning German vocal quintet Ensemble Nobiles for a concert marking the 80th anniversary of the death of Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer at the hands of the Nazis during World War Two. With works by Australian, German, New Zealand, UK and US composers, this is deeply affecting music that speaks to the importance of our shared humanity.

Event description

Ensemble Nobiles (Germany)
Sydney Chamber Choir
Sam Allchurch | Conductor

2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two and the death of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, an influential Lutheran theologian. He was arrested by the Nazis in 1943 and executed on 9 April 1945.

In this concert, we collaborate with the award-winning German male-voice quintet Ensemble Nobiles to present a thought-provoking musical tribute to Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Ensemble Nobiles has commissioned composers from Australia, Germany, New Zealand, the UK and the USA to set to music texts written by Bonhoeffer while imprisoned, interleaved between the movements of a new Mass setting by Paul Heller, a member of Ensemble Nobiles and former member of the St Thomas' Boys Choir in Leipzig.

We give the world premiere of the complete work in Sydney before joining the Gewandhaus Choir as well as choirs from Melbourne and the UK for a performance of this landmark work in the famous Gewandhaus in Leipzig in May.

This is deeply affecting music that speaks to the importance of our shared humanity.

Program

Paul Heller Mass Dietrich B.
Matthew Harris (USA) Morning Prayer
Alec Roth (UK) Die Ruhe der Nacht (The Peace of the Night)
David Hamilton (NZ) Heiliger Geist (Holy Spirit)
Sandra Milliken (Australia) Herr Jesus Christus (Lord Jesus Christ)
Manfred Schenker (Germany) Von guten Mächten (With all the powers of good)