- Expanding Choirs in North Rhine-Westphalia - "Swift and Adele Lend a Hand"
Choral singing in North Rhine-Westphalia is regaining popularity following the brutal pandemic crisis. "Things are looking up, the number of choirs is increasing," shares Robert von Zahn, secretary-general of the NRW State Music Council. Top-notch pop divas like Taylor Swift or Adele might have something to do with this: "They're setting examples in fashion, lifestyle, and their singing style is part of that," he mentioned.
Presently, roughly 60,000 amateur vocalists are affiliated with the NRW Choral Association, a stark decrease from the nearly 100,000 participants in 2013. During the pandemic, when rehearsals were practically non-existent for almost three years, many choirs saw their younger singers depart. "That was a detrimental generational gap that could have spelled doom for choirs. But now we can say: We're making it through," von Zahn said.
Mainly Pop Tunes
According to a representative from the State Music Council, the number of traditional men's choirs has been dropping for years, whilst all other choir categories, including children's and youth choirs, have been steadily rising. Numerous choirs perform pop tunes from the previous two decades with harmony.
In the concert choirs, organized within their own German Concert Choirs Association (VdKC), the membership in NRW swelled by approximately 800 to 11,500 in just two years. Moreover, there are countless vocalists in church choirs, not all of whom are included in the NRW Choral Association's records.
Despite the decline in traditional men's choirs, other categories, such as children's and youth choirs, have been thriving in North Rhine-Westphalia. The popularity of choral singing in North Rhine-Westphalia, particularly in the concert choirs, has seen a significant increase, with membership in the German Concert Choirs Association (VdKC) increasing by around 800 in just two years.
