The musical range of the thank-you concerts by Uckermark district administrator Karina Dörk (CDU) ranges from the famous prisoner choir from the opera “Nabucco” to James Bond’s “Skyfall”. This tradition was founded in 2021 during the times of the corona pandemic. The district administrator thanked the “heroes of the pandemic” for their special commitment with concerts in Angermünde, Prenzlau, Schwedt and Templin. This was followed in 2023 by a concert for those helpers who were combating the consequences of fish deaths in the Oder.
Currently 998 employees in administration
This year the “thank you concerts” will take place on October 12th in the Nikolaikirche in Prenzlau and on October 13th in the Maria Magdalene Church in Templin. Each event begins at 5 p.m. When asked by the editorial team, district press spokeswoman Ramona Fischer explained that this year, employees of the district administration and its facilities such as job centers, music or adult education centers in particular should benefit. There are currently a total of 998 employees. The ticket contingent for the concert in Prenzlau is already sold out. Some tickets for the concert in Templin are still available at the Evangelical Parish Office in Templin. The churches are heated.
Varied program promised
The program designer and conductor of the concert series is once again Jürgen Bischof, who put together a varied program. This year, under the heading “From classical music to film music”, the Prussian Chamber Orchestra and the Uckermärkische Konzertchor Prenzlau will also be taking part. Rainer Mesecke (bass-baritone) and Judith Simonis (alto) appear as soloists. Before his studies, Rainer Mesecke from Uckermark sang in the youth choir of the Prenzlau high school, in the chamber choir and in the concert choir Prenzlau. Today he is a soloist at the State Theater in Braunschweig. “He will certainly win the hearts of the audience with Escamillo’s entrance song ‘Off to the Fight Torero’ from the opera Carmen,” said Bischof.
Preparations of almost a year
Judith Simonis already impressed in the performances of Karl Jenkins’ “Stabat Mater” in Prenzlau and Templin in 2023. She recently performed with the singing quartet BERLINS 4 in the Catholic Church of Prenzlau. On October 12th and 13th, she will sing, among other things, the title song from “Skyfall” in the original arrangement with choir and orchestra. The program also includes works from the comic operas “The Bartered Bride” by Bedřich Smetana and “The Marriage of Figaro” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as well as the great “Hallelujah” from the opera-oratorio “Saul” by GF Handel. In the second part of the concert, melodies from the films “The Conquest of Paradise”, “The Lord of the Rings”, “Star Wars”, Shrek – the daring hero” and “The Heathens of Kummerow” will be heard.
Big cast for the right sound
Jürgen Bischof reports that preparations for the concerts began almost a year ago: “I wrote special choral arrangements for the film music or adapted existing choral movements in a contemporary way.” For example, for the film music “The Lord of the Rings,” Bishop invented a fantasy language with vocalizations that he attributed to the orcs. He is sure that this work will be a lot of fun not only for him, but also for the visitors.
The Prussian Chamber Orchestra plays in large numbers to give the music the right sound. The impressive line-up was made possible by the generous support of the Sparkasse Uckermark Community Foundation and the Uckermärkischedienstegesellschaft mbH. “My special thanks also go to the support of Mr. Boullay and Marktkauf Prenzlau,” said Bischof.
