Contact:
St. Michael’s Horn Ensemble
Hauptkirche St. Michaelis
Englische Planke 1
20459 Hamburg
Tel. +49 (0)40 366 800
Direction: Josef Thöne
Beginning in the late 19th century, church horn ensembles were created and developed in Germany from the youth associations at that time, the precursors to the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). The horn ensemble at St. Michael’s was also founded during this time on 6 January 1901. Particularly in the first 50 years, its history and development were closely linked to the events and circumstances of that time. Despite all the hardships and turmoil of the first half of the century, the choir always remained dedicated to church music. For more than 110 years, the ensemble has been continuously serving the St. Michael’s parish and beyond.
The St. Michael’s Horn Ensemble regularly performs in the tower during services and at concerts, every year on the First Sunday of Advent, on Christmas day, New Year’s Day and Easter Sunday and organises annual carnival and Advent concerts.
Under the direction of Josef Thöne, who has been leading the horn ensemble since 1995, the ensemble has significantly expanded its repertoire in terms of the range of styles and the quality and level of difficulty of the pieces. Josef Thöne and the horn ensemble also went on very successful concert trips to Brazil in 2002 and 2006.