Joint benefit concert in the Friedenskirche: Otto Schott Choir and Jena Madrigal Circle invite you to attend

The Otto Schott Choir and the chamber choir of the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra, the Jena Madrigal Circle, invite you to a joint benefit concert on Thursday, 4 June 2026, at 19:00 in the Friedenskirche Jena. Christian Herrmann and Berit Walther will be the musical directors. In cooperation with the city of Jena, all proceeds from the concert will be donated to Jena's Ukrainian twin town Brovary. The aim is to support a rehabilitation center for the care of local citizens affected by the war.

Under the title "Gedankenspiele", the Otto Schott Choir will present a varied program on topics that make the mind wander or stimulate the imagination. The program includes excerpts from Henry Purcell's opera "The Fairy Queen" and "And the Swallow" by Caroline Shaw. The program is complemented by selected folk songs such as "Es waren zwei Königskinder" and pop songs such as "Little Blue" by Jacob Collier.

The Jena Madrigal Circle dedicates its current a cappella program to the elements of "Fire and Water". The audience will encounter the eponymous motifs in Jaakko Mäntyjärvi's tongue-in-cheek composition "Smoking Can Kill", in Hugo Distler's expressive setting of Eduard Mörike's poem "Der Feuerreiter" and in Katerina Gimon's experimental vocal cycle "Elements", from which the movement "Water" will be heard.

The audience can expect a multi-faceted concert evening with a wide variety of styles - from baroque to folk song to contemporary choral music and pop.

The donations will be used to support the "Center for Healthcare and Rehabilitation" in Brovary. The services are in great demand by the local population - especially among war veterans who are dependent on targeted rehabilitation measures due to injuries and wounds. At the beginning of this year, the city of Jena, together with Engagement Global, implemented an aid project that enabled a modern rehabilitation room to be set up in this center. Among other things, it was equipped with a hydro-massage tub, an ergometer and a cross-trainer
so that the center was able to significantly expand its services. Nevertheless, there is still a great need for additional equipment in order to meet the constantly growing demands.

About the Otto Schott Choir:
With its varied repertoire and balanced choral sound, the Jena Otto Schott Choir has been enriching the German choral landscape for more than 25 years. The approximately 35 singers regularly take part in competitions. Most recently, the choir impressed at the German Choral Festival Leipzig 2022 in the "Contemporary Choral Music" category and was awarded a special prize for the "Best Performance of a Contemporary Work"
was awarded.

About the Jena Madrigal Circle:
In the chamber choir of the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra, around 30 singers currently dedicate themselves primarily to the cultivation of challenging a cappella literature from various centuries. In addition to sacred and secular choral music, the repertoire also regularly includes experimental works, which are thematically anchored in the series concerts of the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra.

Jenaer Madrigalkreis

Otto-Schott-Chor Jena