17 years ago, Angelika Milster’s producer Andre Bauer came up with the idea to create a new kind of church concert experience. A crossover program, which meant to include not only sacred songs and arias, but also musical songs, pop classics and country music. The idea was met with wide spread skepticism. Nevertheless, Mr. Bauer kept on pursuing the concept and entered a collaboration with Angelika Milster’s pianist Juergen Grimm (winner of the 2001 international “jazz and church organ” competition).
The two made the crossover program a reality, compiling a set of timeless melodies, which they re-arranged to be performed in churches and cathedrals accompanied by an organ.
The tour is ongoing and Angelika Milster’s Church concerts are as popular as ever. She will be performing throughout the country this autumn and winter, 2018/2019. She is usually accompanied on the organ by Professor Juergen Grimm, who proves to be a highly versatile performer. Regardless of whether the instrument is played in a small village church or in a vast cathedral. The pieces are specially “transcribed” for the organ: “A characteristic of the organ is that it is devoid of keyboard expression. There is only, so to speak, “sound on” and “sound off”. A note played on the organ does not fade away like a note on a piano. It continues to sound until the key is released”, says Professor Jürgen Grimm.
The “Hoffnung” program consists of classical Christmas carols, such as “Silent Night” or “O How Joyfully”. In addition, a number of American Christmas pop songs have been translated into German especially for Angelika Milster, such as “Rudolph”, “Sleigh Ride” or “White Christmas”. Added to these are musical songs such as “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” or “From a Distance”. Last but not least, there are the songs “The Rose” and “Memory”, which have become a trademark of Angelika Milster.
You can obtain tickets for the “Hoffnung” church concert tour here
