So I'm introducing a series of entries through the months of January and February called Winter Warmers: Berliners' personal favorites for places to warm body and soul.
Thirty Minutes of Heaven
My first pick is Noon Song, thirty minutes of heaven every Saturday at the Kirche am Hohenzollernplatz. Eight professional singers form Sirventes, a choir that performs mostly Renaissance (but sometimes Romantic or contemporary) choral music. Unlike a concert at the Chamber Music Hall at the Philharmonie, this performance embeds the music in the liturgy for which it was composed and so has a meditative quality that is deeply moving.
Noon Song is the brainchild of Stefan Schuck, who explains that the tradition of marking each hour of the day with sacred music goes back to the Benedictine monks.
The weekly Saturday market takes place opposite the church, and most listeners come in directly from their shopping, lugging bags and baskets of flowers, cheese, or vegetables. The music is a heavenly interlude that begins and ends in the earthy reality of the market stands.
Last week, I bought sweet potatoes and carrots for a winter soup, then came in and listened to the pure sounds of choral arrangements by Schein, Praetorius, and Schütz. You couldn't do much better for food that warms body and soul.
50 Years of Noon Song
Saturday, 9 January 2010, will be the fiftieth performance of Noon Song, and Schuck plans to make it special. Don't miss it.
Noon Song takes place every Saturday at 12:00 noon at the Kirche am Hohenzollernplatz (U3, Hohenzollernplatz). Entrance is free, but you can show your appreciation of the music by making a contribution at the door. You can read more about Sirventes and Noon Song at www.noonsong.de
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