Three Christmas concerts of the music school in the textile factory in Bocholt

The young talents of the music school Bocholt-Isselburg inspired the audience with three Christmas concerts on the weekend.

In the first pre-Christmas concert on Saturday, December 3, the "Mini Winds" performed under the direction of Gido van Schijndel. The youngest wind formation delighted the audience with lively playing. Great applause erupted when Titus Krechting on the trombone performed his solo part in the piece "Tricky Trombones" sovereignly over the stage.

Six woodwinds and a piano were not "The Fellowship of the Ring", but under the direction of Britta Nolte Kaiser they performed the piece of the same name appealingly and soulfully. They were accompanied on the piano by music school teacher Karl-Heinz Höper. The program of the youth orchestra ranged from baroque to James Bond. Gabriele Nußberger led the string ensemble in the best chamber orchestra tradition - sometimes on the violin, sometimes on the grand piano - through the different eras. The 18-member "Sax Mafia" under the direction of Uwe Renting provided a brilliant finale with "Music" by John Miles and other classics of light music.

On Sunday, December 4, two concerts were held due to high demand. The first was opened by the youth choir "Young Voices" under the direction of Christa Warnke. With guitar and drum set as reinforcement, the ensemble delighted with titles of e.g. Herbert Grönemeyer and the Red Hot Chili Peppers and invited the audience to sing along with "Ding Dong Bells".

Afterwards, almost 40 children of the children's musical group, which is supervised by Stefanie Bergmann and Luanda Schillings, conquered the stage. With infectious enthusiasm and full of verve, they presented highlights from previous productions and also a title from the new musical, which will be performed in May 2023.

The third pre-Christmas concert was dominated by the wind orchestras. Ruben van Schijndel led the brass section safely through the first part of the concert. With works such as "Young Fanfare", "Cheap Thrills", a medley of film music by Hans Zimmer and two Christmas carols, the middle of the three wind orchestras of the music school could convince the audience. Under the direction of Guido Schrader the youth wind orchestra showed itself in playing mood. Whether in the original composition "Scandinavia", with New German Wave of the 80-ies or in the genre of film music, the young people presented themselves from their best side and were allowed to leave the stage only after an encore.

"Since 2019, the traditional pre-Christmas concerts could take place live again for the first time. The almost 250 participating musicians on stage, the joy and also the pride was to be seen. The audience thanked them with long-lasting applause," sums up Music School Director Claudia Borgers.