WE were sitting on the steps of the French Church in Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin. The evening sun was still hot although it was 8pm. Facing us was the big stage on the other side of the square as the concert was about to begin. It was a concert symbolising much of what this year’s German Lutheran Church Kirchentag was about.
The text for this year’s bi-annual convention was “You see me”, from Genesis 16:13. Hagar, carrying Abraham’s child was a refugee fleeing his wife and her mistress, Sarah. A central theme of many events and meetings was refugees and migrants.
The concert was the world premier of the Unisono-Symphony composed by Nicola Ruegenberg, who was also conducting. Along with the Berlin Symphonica and Oratioria, were musicians who had come to Germany as refugees. The symphony contained Syrian melodies, Iranian harmonies, and African rhythms. The musicians and singers, and the thousands gathered in the open air, on the steps of the church, the concert hall opposite and standing around the square sang the chorus from Beethoven’s ninth symphony, Alle Menschen werden Brüder, “all men will become brothers”.
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