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{{Short description|Boys' choir in Leipzig}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox choir
| name            = Thomanerchor
| image =  File:Logo Thomanerchor.svg
| image_size      =
| origin          = [[Leipzig]], [[Germany]]
| founder         =
| genre           = [[Choral music|Choral]],&nbsp;[[Classical music|classical]]
| music director  = [[Andreas Reize]]
| headquarters    =
| founding        = {{Start date and age|1212}}
| label           = 
| affiliation     = [[St. Thomas Church, Leipzig]]
| website         = {{url|https://www.thomanerchor.de/}}
}}

The '''Thomanerchor''' (English: '''St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig''') is a [[boys' choir]] in [[Leipzig]], Germany. The choir was founded in 1212. The choir comprises about 90 boys from 9 to 18 years of age. The members, called ''Thomaner'', reside in a [[boarding school]], the ''Thomasalumnat'' and attend the [[St. Thomas School, Leipzig]], a [[Gymnasium (school)|Gymnasium school]] with a linguistic profile and a focus on musical education. The younger members attend the primary school ''Grundschule [[Forum Thomanum]]'' or ''Anna-Magdalena-Bach-Schule''.<ref name="Grundschule der Stadt Leipzig - Stadt Leipzig">{{cite web | title=Anna-Magdalena-Bach-Schule – Grundschule der Stadt Leipzig | website=Stadt Leipzig | url=https://www.leipzig.de//detailansicht-adresse | language=de | access-date=5 February 2022}}</ref><ref name="Grundschule forum thomanum - Stadt Leipzig">{{cite web | title=Freier Träger – Grundschule forum thomanum | website=Stadt Leipzig | url=https://www.leipzig.de//detailansicht-adresse | language=de | access-date=5 February 2022}}</ref> [[Johann Sebastian Bach]] served as [[Thomaskantor]], director of the choir and church music in Leipzig, from 1723 to 1750.

==The choir==
[[File:6b Thomanerchor im Bachhaus.jpg|thumb|The choir singing at the [[Bach House (Eisenach)|Bach House]] in [[Eisenach]] on 17 May 2007]]
[[File:Thomaskirche Interior.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Thomaskirche]], 2008]]

Although the choir's main musical field traditionally consists of the vocal works of [[Johann Sebastian Bach]], the repertoire comprises pieces from different eras, from the [[Renaissance]] to contemporary music. [[Andreas Reize]] is the 18th Thomaskantor since Bach.

The [[Forum Thomanum]] is the campus of the choir in the Bach quarter of Leipzig. It was inaugurated in 2012 and includes the ''Thomasalumnat'' (boarding school), kindergarten, primary school, high school, choir rehearsal space, Luther Church, youth hostel, administration buildings, gym, a rehearsal hall and more amenities.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chronik|url=https://www.forum-thomanum.de/forum-thomanum-e-v/chronik|access-date=2020-09-19|website=www.forum-thomanum.de}}</ref> Some critics{{Who|date=July 2021}} contend that the Forum Thomanum project will change the way that the ''Thomaner'' are instructed and recruited.

Most of the members of the {{lang|de|Thomanerchor|italic=no}} live in the {{lang|de|Thomasalumnat|italic=no}} on Hiller Street. The boys are separated into so-called {{lang|de|Stuben}} rather than school classes. Each {{lang|de|Stube}} is not only a sleeping room, but also an administrative entity with a closed hierarchy and a clear assignment of tasks. One or more older choir boys live with the younger ones in each {{lang|de|Stube}} in order to create a hierarchy and didactic relationship. Hence, the upbringing in the Thomanerchor is provided primarily by the older members, and the educators play a smaller role. Therefore, it is possible to have 90 boys living under one roof, supervised by only five educators. The {{lang|de|Stuben}} are redistributed every year in order to maintain the age groupings and also to influence the social order in the {{lang|de|Stube}}.

The {{lang|de|Stuben}} have only lockable wardrobes ({{lang|de|Köte}}) and one table for each boy. The rooms also have other furnishings, namely shelves for books, newspapers and satchels, radios, plants and chairs. Televisions and computers are not allowed. Each ''Stube'' consists of at least four rooms and a washroom with two showers, and each room has two to three beds.

The {{lang|de|Thomasalumnat|italic=no}} also has a gym, a rehearsal hall, and a dining hall where all boys eat together three times a day, a shop where the tailor sews the boys' suits for the concerts, an archive, a wing of the building for the teachers who live there, a room for the band, a model railway room, a fitness room, a living room for the older boys, a "press room" for the school's newspaper, a sauna, a library with computers and internet, an infirmary, and a television room. Communal restrooms are located on the hallway of each {{lang|de|Stube}}. 

The Thomanerchor gives concerts across Germany (at least two major tours a year) and abroad. The choir also sings three times a week in the [[St. Thomas Church, Leipzig|Thomaskirche]], "Motette" every Friday evening at 6 and every Saturday afternoon at 3, service on Sundays at 9 o'clock. The choir also sings at Protestant festivities. The children have vacations during the summer school vacations.

The tour of 2012, the choir's 800th year, presented a program of Alessandro Scarlatti's {{lang|la|Exultate Deo}}, Kyrie and Gloria from Palestrina's ''{{lang|la|Missa sine nomine}}'', Bruckner's motets {{lang|la|[[Vexilla regis (Bruckner)|Vexilla regis]]}} and {{lang|la|Christus factus est pro nobis}}, and Bach's motet {{lang|de|[[Jesu, meine Freude, BWV 227|Jesu, meine Freude]]}}. It was performed, for example, on 6 July in the [[Eberbach Abbey]] at the [[Rheingau Musik Festival]].

==History==
[[File:Fotothek df roe-neg 0006398 005 Thomanerchor.jpg|thumb|The choir in 1953]]<!-- for 800 years this is a very brief history - see as example the article on the [[Wiener Sängerknaben]] for comparison -->
The [[Margrave of Meissen]] founded St. Thomas' priory for [[Augustinian Canons]] (''Augustiner-Chorherrenstift zu St. Thomas'') in 1212. A school was annexed to the monastery, the intended purpose of which was to develop future priests. Since the [[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]] in 1539, the school and the choir have belonged to the city of Leipzig; it is also influenced by the Protestant Church of [[Saxony]]. This makes the Thomanerchor the oldest cultural entity in the city and one of the oldest in Europe; the [[Regensburger Domspatzen]] is the oldest known choir on record.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Regensburger-Domspatzen.htm|title=Regensburger Domspatzen (Boys Choir) – Short History|website=www.bach-cantatas.com|access-date=21 April 2018}}</ref> When [[Johann Sebastian Bach]] served as director, the choir consisted of about 50 singers, of which the best 16 were used for performance of cantatas.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wolff|first1=Christoph|title=Johann Sebastian Bach : the learned musician|url=https://archive.org/details/johannsebastianb00wolf|url-access=registration|date=2000|publisher=W.W. Norton|location=New York|isbn=978-0-393-32256-9|pages=[https://archive.org/details/johannsebastianb00wolf/page/260 260], 263|edition=2013}}</ref> After Bach's death, other famous musicians served as director, among them [[Johann Friedrich Doles|Doles]], [[Johann Adam Hiller|Hiller]] and [[Moritz Hauptmann]].

By the end of the 19th century, the Thomasschule next to the Thomaskirche was demolished and the choir moved to the Hiller street, now the Leipziger "Music Quarter". During the [[Nazi era]], the choir was incorporated into the [[Hitler Jugend]] in 1937. But the Nazi government did not succeed in infiltrating their ideology into the choir's repertoire because the then director Ramin concentrated on religious works. He also tried to prevent the boys from being enlisted as long as possible.

[[Georg Christoph Biller]], who was a Thomaner himself in his youth, directed the choir from 1992 to 2015. After retiring for health reasons, he was succeeded by [[Gotthold Schwarz]] as interim cantor, the latter being officially appointed as the new Thomaskantor in June 2016.<ref name="mdrKultur">{{cite web|last1=Zapf|first1=Angelika|title=Thomaskantor Gotthold Schwarz|url=http://www.mdr.de/kultur/themen/mdr-kultur-trifft-gotthold-schwarz100.html|website=MDR Kultur|access-date=5 March 2017|language=de|date=11 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305113827/http://www.mdr.de/kultur/themen/mdr-kultur-trifft-gotthold-schwarz100.html|archive-date=2017-03-05|url-status=dead}}</ref> The 18th Thomaskantor after Bach is [[Andreas Reize]].

[[File:Thomanerchor, Lutherkirche, Wiesbaden, RMF.jpg|thumb|Thomanerchor at [[Lutherkirche, Wiesbaden]], 2022]]
He resumed the traditional summer tours with a program called ''Salmo!'', after the opening piece ''[[Salmo 150]]''.<ref name="Motette">{{cite web
| url = http://www.mvmc.de/motette/aktuell.pdf
| title = Motette in der Thomaskirche
| website = mvmc.de
| date = 15 July 2022
| language = de
| access-date = 3 August 2022
}}</ref> It was presented at the Thomaskirche,<ref name="Korfmacher">{{cite web
| last = Korfmacher
| first = Peter
| url = https://www.lvz.de/kultur/regional/konzert-des-thomanerchors-unter-andreas-reize-in-der-thomaskirche-YTDH76JTH36Q4SZGW5YBNNFA2Q.html
| title = Musik aus fünf Jahrhunderten: Konzert des Thomanerchors unter Andreas Reize in der Thomaskirche
| newspaper = [[Leipziger Volkszeitung]]
| date = 7 July 2022
| language = de
| access-date = 3 August 2022
}}</ref> and in [[Merseburg Cathedral]]<ref name="MDR">{{cite web
| url = https://www.mdr.de/konzerte/konzertkalender/konzert3872.html
| title = Thomaner!
| publisher = [[Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk|MDR]]
| date = 15 July 2022
| language = de
| access-date = 20 July 2022
}}</ref> among other places in Thuringia, and at the [[Lutherkirche, Wiesbaden|Lutherkirche in Wiesbaden]] as part of the Rheingau Musik Festival.<ref name="Wenda">{{cite web
| last = Wenda
| first = Manuel
| url = https://www.main-spitze.de/kultur/musik/rmf-thomanerchor-zeigt-akkuratesse-und-spiritualitat_25613866
| title = RMF: Thomanerchor zeigt Akkuratesse und Spiritualität
| newspaper = Main-Spitze
| date = 11 July 2022
| language = de
| access-date = 20 July 2022
}}</ref>

==Cantors==
{{main article|Thomaskantor}}
Cantors of the Thomanerchor, called Thomaskantor in German, have included (in brackets their time in the office):
{{div col}}
*[[Georg Rhau]] (1518–1520)
*[[Johannes Galliculus]] (1520–1525)
*[[Sethus Calvisius]] (1594–1615)
*[[Johann Hermann Schein]] (1615–1630)
*[[Tobias Michael]] (1631–1657)
*[[Sebastian Knüpfer]] (1657–1676)
*[[Johann Schelle]] (1677–1701)
*[[Johann Kuhnau]] (1701–1722)
*[[Johann Sebastian Bach]] (1723–1750)
*[[Johann Friedrich Doles]] (1756–1789)
*[[Johann Adam Hiller]] (1789–1801)
*[[Johann Gottfried Schicht]] (1810–1823)
*[[Christian Theodor Weinlig]] (1823–1842)
*[[Moritz Hauptmann]] (1842–1868)
*[[Ernst Friedrich Richter]] (1868–1879)
*[[Wilhelm Rust]] (1880–1892)
*[[Gustav Schreck]] (1893–1918)
*[[Karl Straube]] (1918–1939)
*[[Günther Ramin]] (1939–1956)
*[[Kurt Thomas (composer)|Kurt Thomas]] (1957–1960)
*[[Erhard Mauersberger]] (1961–1972)
*[[Hans-Joachim Rotzsch]] (1972–1991)
*[[Georg Christoph Biller]] (1992–2015)
*[[Gotthold Schwarz]] (2016–2021) (acting cantor 2015–2016)
*[[Andreas Reize]] (2021–)<ref name="LVZ - Leipziger Volkszeitung 2020">{{cite web | title=Andreas Reize wird Leipzigs neuer Thomaskantor | website=LVZ – Leipziger Volkszeitung | date=18 December 2020 | url=https://www.lvz.de/Nachrichten/Kultur/Kultur-Regional/Andreas-Reize-wird-Leipzigs-neuer-Thomaskantor | language=de | access-date=19 December 2020}}</ref>
{{div col end}}

==Notable members==
{{div col}}
* [[Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach]]
* [[Günther Ramin]]
* [[Diethard Hellmann]]
* [[Jörg-Peter Weigle]]
* [[Die Prinzen]]
* {{ill|Hans-Jürgen Beyer|de}}
* [[Georg Christoph Biller]]
* {{ill|Jürgen Golle|de}}
* [[Reiner Süß]]
* [[Erhard Mauersberger]]
* [[Martin Christian Vogel]]
* [[amarcord (ensemble)|ensemble amarcord]]
* [[Christoph Genz]]
* [[Hanns-Martin Schneidt]]
* [[Matthias Weichert]]
* [[David Timm]]
* [[Martin Petzold]]
{{div col end}}

==Films==
* ''{{Ill|The Flying Classroom (2003 film)|de|3=Das fliegende Klassenzimmer (2003)|lt=The Flying Classroom}}''. Literal adaptation of [[Erich Kästner]]'s novel ''[[The Flying Classroom]]''. Germany 2003. Director: [[Tomy Wigand]]. {{OCLC|742197375}}
* ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkrV1gYh4ts 800 Years of Thomanerchor.]'' Germany March 25, 2012, MDR Television (YouTube) {{OCLC|958003602}}
* ''Die Thomaner'' Documentary film. Germany March 2012. Directors: [[Paul Smaczny, Günter Atteln]]. {{OCLC|956369041}}

==Awards and recognition==
'''Awards''':
* 2023 [[Bach Medal]]<ref name="nmz">{{cite web | title=Thomanerchor erhält Bach-Medaille der Stadt Leipzig – neue musikzeitung | website=[[nmz]] | date=5 April 2023 | url=https://www.nmz.de/kiz/nachrichten/thomanerchor-erhaelt-bach-medaille-der-stadt-leipzig | language=de | access-date=6 April 2023}}</ref>
* 2014 [[Preis der Europäischen Kirchenmusik]]<ref name="Schwäbisch Gmünd">{{cite web | title=Preis der Europäischen Kirchenmusik 2014 geht an den Thomanerchor Leipzig | website=Schwäbisch Gmünd | url=https://www.schwaebisch-gmuend.de/ | language=de | access-date=5 February 2022}}</ref>
* 2012 [[Echo Klassik|ECHO Classic Award]], Special award<ref name="Leipziger Volkszeitung 2012">{{cite web | title=Thomanerchor, Chailly und Amarcord aus Leipzig werden mit Echo Klassik geehrt | website=[[Leipziger Volkszeitung]] | date=20 September 2012 | url=https://www.lvz.de/Nachrichten/Kultur/Thomanerchor-Chailly-und-Amarcord-aus-Leipzig-werden-mit-Echo-Klassik-geehrt | language=de | access-date=5 February 2022}}</ref>
* 2011 [[Royal Academy of Music Bach Prize|Bach Prize]] of the [[Royal Academy of Music]] (London)<ref name="Unknown">{{cite web|url=https://www.ram.ac.uk/news?nid=222|title=Academy / Kohn Bach Prize winners: Thomanerchor Leipzig|last=Anon|date=7 September 2011|publisher=Royal Academy of Music|access-date=9 September 2011|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402050108/https://www.ram.ac.uk/news?nid=222|archive-date=2012-04-02}}</ref>
* 2002 [[Brahms Prize]] of the [[Johannes Brahms|Brahms]] Society of [[Schleswig-Holstein]] (German: ''Brahms Preis'')<ref name="DW.COM">{{cite web | title=Brahmspreis für Leipziger Thomanerchor – 16.06.2002 | website=DW.COM | url=https://www.dw.com/de/brahmspreis-f%C3%BCr-leipziger-thomanerchor/a-578060 | language=de | access-date=5 February 2022}}</ref>
* Europäischer Kulturpreis für Chormusik<ref name="Wir fördern Kultur in Europa 2019">{{cite news | title=Prominente Botschafter | website=Wir fördern Kultur in Europa | date=8 March 2019 | url=https://pro-europa.foundation/historie/preise-und-preistraeger/ | language=de | access-date=5 February 2022}}</ref>
'''State decorations''':
* [[Order For Merit to the Fatherland|Fatherland's Order of Merit]] in Gold, of [[East Germany]] (German: ''Vaterländischer Verdienstorden'')<ref name="der Freitag">{{cite news | title=Braune Musik ǀ Schlag ins Kantor | website=der Freitag | url=https://www.freitag.de/autoren/der-freitag/schlag-ins-kantor | language=de | access-date=5 February 2022 | last1=Amzoll | first1=Stefan }}</ref>
'''Eponyms''':
* 1924 The asteroid [[1023 Thomana]] discovered by [[Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth]] was named after the boys' choir<ref name="Thomanerchor Leipzig">{{cite web | title=Thomanerchor Leipzig – Träger, Förderer und Partner | website=Thomanerchor Leipzig | url=https://www.thomanerchor.de/de/erinnerungen-geschichten/ein-eigener-himmelskoerper.html | language=de | access-date=5 February 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[St. Thomas Church, Leipzig]]
* [[St. Thomas School, Leipzig]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Horst List: ''Aus der Geschichte des Thomanerchores.'' Thomanerchor, Leipzig 1953.
* [[Lenka von Koerber]]: ''Wir singen Bach. Der Thomanerchor und seine Kantoren.'' Urania-Verlag, Berlin 1954.
* Horst List: ''Auf Konzertreise. Ein Buch von den Reisen des Leipziger Thomanerchores.'' Reich, Hamburg-Bergstedt 1957.
* [[Richard Petzoldt]]: ''Der Leipziger Thomanerchor.'' [[Edition Leipzig]], Leipzig 1962.
* Bernhard Knick: ''St. Thomas zu Leipzig. Schule und Chor. Stätte des Wirkens von Johann Sebastian Bach. Bilder und Dokumente zur Geschichte der Thomasschule und des Thomanerchores mit ihren zeitgeschichtlichen Beziehungen. Mit einer Einführung von Manfred Mezger.'' Breitkopf & Härtel, Wiesbaden 1963.
* Hans-Jochim Rothe: ''Thomanerchor zu Leipzig, Deutsche Demokratische Republik.'' Thomanerchor, Leipzig 1968.
* Horst List: ''Der Thomanerchor zu Leipzig.'' Deutscher Verlag für Musik, Leipzig 1975.
* Armin Schneiderheinze: ''Der Thomanerchor zu Leipzig.'' Thomanerchor, Leipzig 1982.
* Wolfgang Hanke: ''Die Thomaner.'' Union-Verlag, Berlin 1985.
* [[Stefan Altner]], Roland Weise: ''Thomanerchor Leipzig. Almanach 1.'' 1996. {{ISBN|978-3-9804313-1-6}}
* Gunter Hempel: ''Episoden um die Thomaskirche und die Thomaner.'' Tauchaer Verlag, Taucha 1997. {{ISBN|978-3-910074-67-5}}
* Michael Fuchs: ''Methoden der Frühdiagnostik des Eintrittszeitpunktes der Mutation bei Knabenstimmen. Untersuchungen bei Sängern des Thomanerchores Leipzig.'' 1997
* Stefan Altner: ''Thomanerchor und Thomaskirche. Historisches und Gegenwärtiges in Bildern.'' Tauchaer Verlag, Taucha 1998. {{ISBN|978-3-910074-84-2}}
* [[Georg Christoph Biller]], Stefan Altner: ''Thomaneralmanach 4. Beiträge zur Geschichte und Gegenwart des Thomanerchors.'' Passage-Verlag, Leipzig 2000. {{ISBN|978-3-932900-33-4}}
* Gert Mothes, Siegfried Stadler: ''Die Thomaner.'' Passage-Verlag, Leipzig 2004. {{ISBN|978-3-932900-91-4}}
* Stefan Altner: ''Das Thomaskantorat im 19. Jahrhundert. Bewerber und Kandidaten für das Leipziger Thomaskantorat in den Jahren 1842 bis 1918. Quellenstudien zur Entwicklung des Thomaskantorats und des Thomanerchors vom Wegfall der öffentlichen Singumgänge 1837 bis zur ersten Auslandsreise 1920.'' Passage-Verlag, Leipzig 2006. {{ISBN|978-3-938543-15-3}}
* Helga Mauersberger (ed.): ''Dresdner Kreuzchor und Thomanerchor Leipzig. Zwei Kantoren und ihre Zeit. Rudolf und Erhard Mauersberger.'' Druck- und Verlagsgesellschaft Marienberg, Marienberg 2007. {{ISBN|978-3-931770-46-4}}
* [[Michael Maul]], ''Dero berühmbter Chor – Die Leipziger Thomasschule und ihre Kantoren 1212–1804'' Lehmstedt Verlag, Leipzig 2012. {{ISBN|978-3-942473-24-8}}
* Corinna Wörner: ''Zwischen Anpassung und Resistenz. Der Thomanerchor Leipzig in zwei politischen Systemen.'' Studien und Materialien zur Musikwissenschaft, 123. [[Georg Olms Verlag]], [[Hildesheim]], [[Baden Baden]] 2023, {{ISBN| 978-3-487-16232-4}} [https://www.nomos-shop.de/olms/titel/zwischen-anpassung-und-resistenz-id-117583/ (Abstract)]

==External links==
* {{official|https://www.thomanerchor.de}}
* [http://www.leipzig-online.de/thomanerchor Thomanerchor] on Leipzig Online
* Johan van Veen: [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2011/Aug11/Bach_Thomanerchor_0300224BC.htm Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) / Thomanerchor Leipzig – The Great Bach Tradition] (CD review) musicweb-international.com November 2011
* {{discogs artist|Thomanerchor}}
* {{imdb name|2910265}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Organisations based in Leipzig]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in the 13th century]]
[[Category:Organizations established in the 1210s]]
[[Category:Music in Leipzig]]
[[Category:Boys' and men's choirs]]
[[Category:Bach choirs]]
[[Category:Choirs of children]]
[[Category:German choirs]]
[[Category:Winners of the Royal Academy of Music/ Kohn Foundation Bach Prize]]
[[Category:1210s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire]]
[[Category:1212 establishments in Europe]]
[[Category:German church music]]
[[Category:St. Thomas School, Leipzig]]