Performers
O Tannenbäume: When the Alte Oper invites the public to its Advent sing-along on Opernplatz for the first time this year, this classic Christmas carol should actually be performed with new lyrics. After all, the sing-along on the first Sunday of Advent turns the moment when the lights on the two Christmas trees in front of the Alte Oper are switched on into a festive occasion and a shared musical experience. The Alte Oper erects the trees every year as a gift to the city’s residents.
All singing enthusiasts are warmly invited to fill the square with song as one. The programme features popular pre-Christmas songs. No choral experience is required to take part; the melodies are well known. For anyone who might not be quite so confident with the words in the third and fourth verses, lyric sheets will be handed out on the spot. The impromptu giant choir will be led by Felix Koch, a conductor, musician and experienced music educator. Many will have last seen him at the Alte Oper during the Fratopia Festival, when he led hundreds of people in a sing-along of Carl Orff’s ‘O Fortuna’. The communal singing on Opernplatz will be joined by the UniChor Mainz, the Kantorei St. Katharinen and several children’s choirs.
Participation is free of charge; no registration is required.
