Practical music education at elementary school

The aim of the "Sing with us!" project is to have entire school classes from first to fifth grade perform Christmas carols from all over the world in a children's concert, accompanied by a small, young, professional orchestra with strings, wind instruments and harp. The initiator and director is Lorenz Indermühle, who lives in the Thun area and has experience with children's choirs and orchestras and whose aim is to give all the children taking part a deep, lasting experience of music. Our youngest grandson, aged 9, sang along to the concert, which we were able to attend in the large, completely full Neumünster church in Zurich. Over thirty teachers from the canton of Zurich took advantage of this offer and have been rehearsing diligently with their classes since the summer vacations, supported by a CD with the excellent, snappy orchestral arrangements.

The last rehearsal in the school building took place early on Advent Sunday morning. Afterwards, a single full rehearsal with orchestra in the Neumünster had to suffice; the concert began at eleven o'clock and turned out excellently with almost four hundred children singing by heart and with confidence. And there were rumba rhythms, 5/8 bars etc. to master.

From the program: Ninõ Lindo from Venezuela, La marche des Rois from France, Dormi, dormi, bel bambin from Italy, Jingle Bells from America, Da pacem, Domine by Melchior Franck, Every year again from Germany etc. with the crowning finale, the beginning of the first cantata of the Christmas Oratorio, combined with the Luther song From heaven high, here I come.

One could argue that only teachers who sing a lot with their classes anyway came forward. But the effect is contagious, at least in the school building, and the project is spreading to many cantons and even to the German neighborhood. There was even a concert in Granada! The project is self-supporting, financed by moderate ticket prices that are affordable for whole families. And it has an integrating effect on many children with a migration background.