Outstanding musicians and dancers are now presenting a varied program on the subject of “Carnival of the Animals” at the “Carnival Concert for Young and Old” in the parish church of Vaterstetten. Funny, virtuosic and well-known pieces, masked actors and a few surprises have been announced. But we don’t know anything specific. That’s why she Ebersberger SZ now tapped into a reliable source, the Vaterstettener Kirchenmaus. Because they have to know.
Dear church mouse, can you tell me what’s going on every night at the Precious Blood of Christ Church? The lights are on, there’s faint music, but the doors stay closed…
Actually, I can’t tell you anything. This is all top secret and falls under official secrecy. It’s about the rehearsals for the concert on Shrove Sunday. It’s full of surprises – and if I divulge everything now, people won’t be surprised anymore.
Oh please, just a little…
Well, you know, I’m still quite perplexed myself at what Frau Menz always comes up with for this concert. I’ve been listening for a number of years and this is a high point for me as far as the music in our church is concerned. Cheerful, full of cheerfulness, varied. That makes the heart beat faster and the soul cheer. When we look the audience in the face from our hiding place, we see relaxed expressions, smiles, bright eyes. The children in particular are always very enthusiastic, but many adults laugh too. Didn’t Aristotle already say: “It is in the essence of music to make people happy”?
My respect – you are a true philosopher.
Oh, you get a lot of things if you go to church every day and pay attention to the people. This is often very serious and quiet. That’s why I’m so looking forward to carnival. Different rules apply here and church music sounds very different. The alphorns for example…
alphorns?
Oops, babbled. But not that bad. You already know them from previous carnival concerts. What I won’t reveal: Which animals they represent. You have to see this live.
The church mouse has lived in the parish church of Vaterstetten for a long time. She is a great philosopher – and that’s why she loves carnival.
(Photo: Georgine Treybal)
What interests me more: why animals?
Didn’t you see the poster? What’s on it? Animals! Take a close look: this variety, this elegance, these chic robes! We mice are rather reserved. But there are some beings out there in the animal world – that’s when you really understand how great God’s creation is. Look it up in Genesis 1:21: “And God created great whales and every living thing that moves and moves, with which the waters swarm, each according to its kind, and every winged bird, each according to its kind Art. And God saw that it was good.” To this day I wonder why he waited until the fifth day to do this. Ms. Menz and the musicians definitely made these wonderful animals the theme of their concert.
A whale, here in the church?
We don’t want to exaggerate. But these four-legged savannah runners with the long neck and the spotted fur – that’s quite a number, it takes your breath away.
What are they doing? How about singing?
I said surprise! I would like to say that you can talk to animals and understand their language. Listen to it yourself. You probably know the story of St. Francis, for whom it was everyday to listen to our songs and sounds and then thank us for it.
That sounds very much like a perfect world. You, as a “poor church mouse”, experience trouble and problems on your own body again and again and …
Stop stop! We have carnival. We prefer to think that there is an idea of paradise where music, song and dance are there for all of us to enjoy. May I quote the prophet Isaiah? “Then the wolf lives with the lamb, the panther lies with the kid. Calf and lion graze together, a little boy can look after them. Cow and bear become friends, their cubs lie together. The lion eats straw like the ox. The baby plays before the snake’s hole, the child stretches his hand into the serpent’s hole.” That’s a wonderful idea. With music it becomes perfect.
Are these the animals that come to the concert?
If you dress up as one of them!
What impressed you the most during rehearsals?
This woman with the colorful robe. She sings like an angel. We don’t have that many of them in our church, we’re not baroque. So it’s all the nicer when someone like that lets their voice ring out. That shines like a rainbow. The two dancers are also great. They move through the room like butterflies, amazing!
Do you have a wish from the audience, perhaps a few snacks for you and your family?
Ah where. We already know how to take care of ourselves. But it would be nice if people were braver and really masked themselves for carnival. In the last few years there were still too many dark anoraks and winter coats on the shelves. Carnival needs color! And the good Lord is happy too. He even invented humor.
Carnival concert in the parish church of Vaterstetten on Sunday, February 19, at 5 p.m. with the horn trio “Lippentriller”, opera singer Camilla Bull, dancer Bettina Hermann, Quirin Reichl on the vibraphone, Alexander Hermann on the synthesizer and Beatrice Menz-Hermann on the organ. Admission is free – donations for the musicians are welcome.