Cast
St. Thomas Boys Choir
George Christoph Biller — Chorus master
Program notes
A fascinating documentary on the St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig, on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the prestigious musical institution.
In 2012, the St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig celebrated the 800th anniversary of its creation. Founded by the Margrave of Meissen in 1212, the Thomanerchor has gone through all the political turmoils that afflicted Germany but never ceased to carry out its mission: to hand down a tradition of excellence and accompany musically the great feasts of the liturgical calendar. Now made up of 92 boys aged between 8 and 18, the choir is part of the Thomasschule zu Leipzig, a boarding school ensuring general and musical education.
Among the many chorus masters who served for the St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig, John Sebastian Bach, who served there between 1723 and 1750, is assuredly the most famous one. Paul Smaczny and Günter Atteln's documentary follows the young Thomaner during a school year, and goes back over the history of the prestigious institution in the company of the current chorus master, George Christoph Biller.