A woman who has made enormous contributions to Tölz is celebrating her 80th birthday today.
Helga Schmidt-Gaden has achieved a lot and has always remained modest.
Bad Tölz / Benediktbeuern - She was never in the front row, the applause was always received by others.
But without her great commitment beyond the limelight, the Tölzer Boys Choir would not have become what it is today: Helga Schmidt-Gaden, the wife of choir founder Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, is celebrating her 80th birthday this Saturday.
The two first met in 1965 at the Orff Institute in Salzburg.
The kindergarten teacher Helga Greiner, a native of Munich, took a course with Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden in order to immerse herself in Orff's instruments.
The Tölzer Boys Choir was not yet ten years old.
Helga Greiner gave away her heart to the course instructor and got a whole bunch of children with her.
In 1968 they married, in 1971 daughter Barbara was born - later one of the few girls in the Tölzer Boys Choir.
At the beginning of the 1970s, the family moved to Benediktbeuern, where the Tölzer Boys Choir's office was located for decades.
The world career of the choir boys was managed at the living room table - and Helga Schmidt-Gaden held all the strings in hand.
The "girl for everything" turns 80
"My father sees the perfect combination in my mother," says Barbara Schmidt-Gaden, who now runs the world-famous choir.
The father (83) took care of everything related to the music, while his wife managed everything.
"She kept my father's back free and organized the whole choir," says the daughter.
Her mother negotiated the fees, worked out schedules, organized rehearsals and of course the trips.
Regardless of whether it was going to Rome, Paris or Milan - she drove ahead as the “girl for everything” and made sure that everything was ready for the singers on site.
“Many children remember my mom's legendary schnitzel bread in particular,” says Barbara Schmidt-Gaden.
It wasn't until the 1980s that there were gradually more employees in the office.
For many years, Helga's father had also worked as an authorized signatory for the choir.
“The family has subordinated everything to the choir,” the daughter knows.
When appearing abroad, she always drove the car ahead and organized everything
Organizing and supervising dozens of young singers requires strong nerves - and of course rigor.
“My mother wears her heart on her tongue,” is how her daughter describes her mother's disposition.
And she never minded standing in the second row.
She is still present at concerts, but always in the background.
"She loves Bach's music very much, including everything Bavarian."
Schmidt-Gaden even appears in Japanese comics
In 2016, Helga Schmidt-Gaden received the Bavarian Order of Merit for her tireless commitment.
It is also immortalized in several Japanese comics ("Mangas") that the illustrator Michi Tarasawa made about the boys' choir.
For the 80th birthday there is of course a special picture for the “choir mom”.
The mountains are a place of retreat for the jubilee, and she loves South Tyrol in particular.
If there is time for hobbies, then the 80-year-old likes to pick up a crime novel or do a bit of work in the garden.
The family stayed in Benediktbeuern, even if the choir office and rehearsal rooms have been in Munich for several years.
Today in the monastery village there is a big celebration with family and friends.
And of course the music is not neglected.
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