Heaven Can Wait: Over 70-year-olds rock Hamburg's St. Pauli Theater!

Heaven Can Wait: Over 70-year-olds rock Hamburg's St. Pauli Theater!

In the St. Pauli Theater in Hamburg, the "Heaven Can Wait Choir" celebrated a sensational comeback with his premiere of the show "Now even more". Wolfgang Merkens, who is the youngest member of the choir at the age of 70, was part of this special evening. Merkens, who has only been singing since November last year, was initially skeptical when he met his new choir. But the energy and enthusiasm of the performance finally overwhelmed him and left a lasting impression. In the meantime, the choir is enjoying a colorful group of members between 70 and 93, which has been under the direction of Jan-Christoph Scheibe for 13 years.

originally launched as a small project for some shows, the choir quickly developed into a Germany -wide tour. The focus is not only on classic songs, but on modern hits from pop, rap and rock, including songs by Taylor Swift, Fettes Bread and Mark Forster. People has a special sense of choosing the songs that are good for the older singers and develop new meanings.

emotions and community

In the premiere, which was already sold out, the audience experienced a rousing evening that ended with a standing ovation and a lot of applause. The members of the choir not only celebrate their musical success, but also the community and friendships that were created during the rehearsals. Singing here is to reinvent yourself in old age and to reduce old clichés. This positive attitude and cooperation are not only known from the live performances, but also a topic in the recently published film "Heaven Can Wait-We Live now", which came to cinemas on October 12th. The film accompanies six choir members on their emotional journey, on which they have to learn to open up in front of an audience and express their feelings.

The challenge is enormous for many members who often come from the "generation of war", since it is not a matter of course to talk about emotions for them. Nevertheless, singing helps to overcome inner barriers and express real emotions. In this way, the choir becomes more and more a kind of family and a soul refuge for its members. The stories from songs and the new own compositions devote important life questions such as happiness and death, which makes the appearance all the more meaningful.

music geriagic in focus

Working with older people in the musical area is also well received in music -greater literature. An interesting addition was the book "Speech singing meets body sound" by Rita Richwehm, which offers a practical approach to rhythmic work with older people. This work, which includes a wealth of creative ideas and playing approaches, could also be of interest to the "Heaven Can Wait Choir", since it shows how making music together can be valuable support for the soul of older people. The focus of the book is, among other things, creative game ideas for rhythms and body percussion, which can be implemented without a great preparation. So singing remains an experience at any age that not only touches the heart, but also creates community and brings joie de vivre.

After the inspiring premiere and the great applause, notes and the other members are already looking forward to the next appearances and the opportunity to further share their stories and emotions with a wide audience. With a sparkling wine toast on your success and the newly gained zest for life, the choir is going into the next round.