“Everyone loves brass band music because it gives us joie de vivre.” The quote from the writer Berthold Auerbach applies to Horst Rada to a large extent. For more than half a century he gave several generations pure joie de vivre with his music. The thoroughbred musician is celebrating his 80th birthday this Sunday.
Horst Rada was born on May 21, 1943 in Niederalbendorf (Trautenau) in the Sudetenland. Expelled from his homeland, he settled in Neustadt. He worked full-time as a butcher in the Rexroth canteen for 41 years. In 1966 Rada married his wife Magdalena from Neustadt. The birth of the two daughters in 1971 and 1968 as well as granddaughter Theresa made the family happiness perfect. The celebrant is grateful to the woman at his side who had his back for 57 years and did the “written” work related to the performances.
Music was a matter of the heart for Horst Rada throughout his life, a talent that was instilled in him by his father, a military musician. Brother Erhard conducts the Lower Franconian Senior Wind Orchestra and was principal clarinetist with the Veitshöchheim Army Music Corps. Horst Rada’s musical career started in the Neustadt brass band before founding the Egerländer traditional band in 1969. He played in the band Die Blackys and was a co-founder of the Rexroth factory band.
A dream came true
In 1976 he converted his traditional band to a dance and wind orchestra. The aim was to develop from pure brass band music to big band sound. And with Glenn Miller’s jazz title “In the mood” including tenor saxophone and trumpet solos, a dream came true for the orchestra leader and composer. His second wish, to play in the Stadthalle Lohr, also came true. With 70 to 80 performances per year, the orchestra was on stage in Saarbrücken, Ingolstadt, Wetzlar, Giessen, Fulda and Villefranche (France). The band had home games at the Mopper carnival or autumn ball in the Lohr town hall, at the Bayer storm festival and at local festivals. The annual highlight were the performances over several days during the Lohr Spessart festival week, where the band was attested to be a “top performance”.
Big farewell 2019
Whether dance, entertainment or mood music of high musical quality: With Horst Rada, the audience was spot on for every occasion. In 1986 the orchestra disbanded. When he entered semi-retirement at the age of 60, the jubilee played in the senior wind orchestra of the North Bavarian Music Association under the direction of his brother Erhard. Ten years later he joined the Wombach Village Musicians. Rada gave his farewell concert as an active musician in 2019 with saxophone solos at the 1250th anniversary of the municipality of Neustadt.
Now we carve
As a “music pensioner” he proves his artistic streak in wood carving, the basics and details of which he learned in two carving courses in Oberammergau. Today, the celebrant works in what he affectionately calls his “satisfying garden.” Looking back, he emphasizes: “I’m proud of my musicians, myself and what we’ve achieved. I wouldn’t have been so successful without my musicians.” What makes him particularly happy: “To this day, even people I don’t know ask me about our music.” The round birthday is celebrated in the family circle.
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