An action that went to the heart moved Oberammergau on Palm Sunday. The "Heil Dir" sounded from the passion music, although there was no worship at all.
Oberammergau - Some tears will have flowed this morning in Oberammergau. Tears of emotion, of melancholy. As every year on Palm Sunday, the church choir and church orchestra of St. Peter and Paul would have intoned the "Heil Dir" from the passion music of Rochus Dedler in the festival service. That tune that the people sing in the Passion when Jesus entered Jerusalem and that every Ammergauer, old or young, has in their blood. It is not for nothing that "Heil Dir" is also called the Oberammergau anthem.
Trumpet accompaniment from the Kofel
The drastic consequences of the corona pandemic have now, as is known, led to the cancellation of the upcoming 42nd Passion Play. Services are also no longer celebrated. Many citizens were touched by the fact that this passion music could still be heard on Palm Sunday in Oberammergau: this catchy melody sounded from the bell tower of the parish church of St. Peter and Paul. The song could be heard all around the village: even from the Altherrenweg and from the Kofel, where trumpeters accompanied the piece of music.
Comments on Facebook make it clear how many people were touched by these eight minutes. An excerpt of the reactions: “Thank you very much. Singed under goose bumps and tears, it was so beautiful. Homesick! ”,“ Thank you, greetings from Norfolk England ”,“ Thank you to everyone who took part in this campaign ”,“ This song has accompanied me throughout my life. Greetings from Hessen to my homeland! “, Thank you very much, you have given many a great pleasure.”, “I’m sitting there with wet eyes!”
Heavy load carried with a smile: Maximilian Kasseckert.
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Pastoral Advisor Dr. had the idea for the campaign Angelika Winterer: “I thought about how songs from the Passion Music could somehow be heard despite the cancellation. A year before the premiere, these sounds would have been particularly moving. It occurred to me that I might be able to play the music over the loudspeakers from the church tower. ”After Dr. Winterer, who had received the okay from the congregation, from Dean Thomas Gröner and Passion Play Director Christian Stückl, contacted Maximilian Kasseckert, who runs his own event technology company in Oberammergau: "I was already thinking of something like that when the parish asked just right. ”Together with Philipp Hauptmann, the 24-year-old then dragged eight loudspeaker boxes with the Kraxe, along with other equipment such as a sound desk, laptop and various cables, up the narrow stairs in the church tower to a height of 50 meters to the bell chair. “The whole campaign took four and a half hours,” reports the pastoral officer who helped with the transport. The volunteer fire brigade also contributed to the success by spreading the news in the village on Saturday with a loudspeaker car that "Heil Dir" will sound from the church tower on Palm Sunday.
Repetition on Good Friday and Easter
Because of the many positive voices, the Catholic parish and pastor Gröner have decided to repeat the action - on Good Friday at 5:00 p.m. with the song to the burial ("All of you who are passing here ...") and on Easter Sunday 9.45 am with the "Hallelujah". In addition Dr. Winterer: "But we would like to point out that people should follow the whole thing from home in accordance with the current regulations."
Maximilian Kasseckert is pleased that there has been such a response among the population. He only receives a small allowance for his expenses, even though Corona, especially in uneventful times, loses all of his income. He doesn't want to complain: "Now it's not about money, it's about solidarity."
By the way: On Sunday after the music was played, a citizen complained to the police - for disturbing the peace!
Read also: Corona: Passion plays in Oberammergau 2020 are canceled - Stückl is fighting with tears