30 years of trombone music: Summer evening in Hohenaltheim inspires!

30 years of trombone music: Summer evening in Hohenaltheim inspires!

The community of Hohenaltheim experienced an unforgettable summer evening on July 10, 2025. The “Small District Choir” of the Donau-Ries trombone district celebrated its 30th anniversary in the St. Johannes Church with an impressive concert entitled “Concert on a Summer Evening”.

The choir, which consists of 34 passionate amateur musicians, is made up of talent from various places in the Ries. From Auhausen to Brachstadt to Bopfingen and Döckingen – the members bring their regional roots into the musical performance. Pastor Reinhard Caesperlein, chairman of the Ries trombone choirs, warmly welcomed the visitors and explained the individual pieces of music during the concert, which made the evening particularly lively.

Trombone choirs: A costume of tradition and sound

A trombone choir is more than just a collection of musicians; it represents a polyphonic sound body that originally consisted exclusively of trombones. In the meantime, other brass instruments, especially trumpets, have also become part of this musical tradition. Trombone choirs are a mainstay of church music and have a clear connection to church work, especially in Protestant communities. According to Wikipedia, trombone choirs were even included in the German UNESCO Commission's list of intangible cultural heritage in 2016.

The first trombone choirs appeared as early as the 18th century, and wind instruments in the Protestant church became increasingly important. The Gleisenau Trombone Choir is also active in the church music scene and is planning a concert series for 2025 to mark its 100th anniversary, under the motto “Praising God, that is our job”. The current concert series includes four concerts, each covering a period of 25 years of music history; The next concert will take place on April 15th in the Catholic Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Ebelsbach.

Musical community and engagement

The members of the Gleisenau trombone choir are not only musically active, but are also involved in church services, birthday parties and community festivals. There are currently 13 brass players active, and their community has gained a wide following. The social contacts within the choir strengthen the community beyond the music. Particularly worth mentioning is the Gleisenau Trombone Choir's participation in the 2nd German Protestant Trombone Day in Dresden, where they were able to hold their own among 22,429 participants.

Preserving and promoting the trombone choir tradition is not just the task of active musicians. Trombone choirs will continue to play an important role in cultural and church life in the future and make a significant contribution to musical diversity.

Whether at the big trombone day or in the smaller setting of a community evening, the sound of the brass will continue to delight the hearts of the people in the region. The cultural achievement of these choirs shows that music not only entertains, but also keeps community and tradition alive - a good piece of home in every note.