Finally another Juka annual concert!

Created: 04/04/2022 08:57

By: Ulrike Osman

Delivered a long and rousing concert after a two-year Corona break: the Stadtjugendkapelle Landsberg.

© Markus Müller-Hahl

Landsberg – Since 2020, concert operations have been put on hold or only possible to a limited extent.

On Saturday, the city youth band was finally allowed to perform an annual concert with a full cast in an equally well-stocked sports center.

What a party - the musicians, led by Hans-Günter Schwartzer, celebrated the end of two years of pandemic operations with a three-hour program. 

That makes two and a half hours of music minus the break, and this time it was under the motto "Musical & More".

A program to indulge in, whereby the JuKa – as the members affectionately call it – wisely did not succumb to the temptation to only use the top ten of the most well-known musical hits.

Instead, she dug deeper into the treasure chest, unearthing jewel after jewel.

After a successful start by the music school wind orchestra, the JuKa started with Chuck Mangione's film music "Children of Sanchez", followed by Philip Sparke's "Portrait of a City", a musical homage to his hometown London.

The high-contrast, demanding work makes the hustle and bustle of the metropolis audible in a driving first movement, then takes the listener to a park in the October fog and finally to the lively nightlife of the metropolis.

The JuKa and the soloists Emily Hank (alto saxophone), Anja Schmidt (tenor saxophone) and Larissa Deisenberger (oboe) succeeded in all of this at a level that not only drew enthusiastic applause from the audience, but also drew an appreciative nod from Hans-Günter Schwacher.

cohesion

"It's really hard to put into words how much we burn to be able to perform again," said JuKa Managing Director Alexandra Loheit in her welcome.

And anyone who watched the musicians play believed her every word.

Both Loheit and the moderators Laura Müller and Sophia Flörke emphasized that the orchestra has grown together even more due to the restrictions caused by the pandemic.

Passion and solidarity got the JuKa through the pandemic, says Loheit - "and a conductor who will hopefully stay with us forever".

In fact, Schwacher has been leading the orchestra for over 30 years and, according to his own statement, still has "unbridled fun" at rehearsals on Friday evening.

In the last two years, some of these took place outdoors on the premises in front of the sports hall of the Ignaz-Kögler-Gymnasium (IKG).

Or in smaller groups, through which new friendships developed in addition to musical ties, as Sophia Flörke explained.

The fact that the orchestra has not suffered in terms of numbers became pleasingly clear when new members were welcomed.

They clearly outnumbered those who dropped out.

After the break, a few hits appeared in the program - a medley of 80s cult songs, another of "My fair lady" melodies and Phil Collins' "You'll be in my heart" from the musical Tarzan.

The highlight of the second part of the program, however, was music from “Elisabeth” – played as magical, pompous and dramatic as the life of the legendary empress.

It was no surprise that the audience asked for encores - and then got three.

Despite all the high spirits of the evening, the JuKa did not lose sight of the sad topic: they donated the proceeds from the sale of drinks to the people of Ukraine.