“Advent season has changed”: Hans Köhl on the Salzburg Advent singing
On Friday, November 25, 2022, the Salzburg Advent Singing celebrates its premiere. The play is called “Snow in Bethlehem!” and fittingly, it should snow at every performance in the Salzburg Festival Hall. The regional media Salzburg talk to the director about the history and the time in Advent.
SALZBURG. “Things fall at once,” says Hans Köhl from the Salzburg Advent Singing. Every year anew Köhl writes the piece of the hostel search and adds new aspects.
“The world dictates the issues. You are always sensitized and alert to what is happening – from which perspective you can look at the story and tell it anew”, says the director, for whom a reference to the current present is important.
“Today is no different than 2,000 years ago – like in the fairytale story.” Hans Kohl
“If you just stayed with tradition and in the past, you would run out of themes over time.”
Salzburg Advent Singing in the Festspielhaus
Due to the Corona situation, the Salzburg Advent Singing could not be performed last year. The current piece “Snow in Bethlehem!” takes you into the world of the Orient and refers to the Ukraine war.
“Snow in Bethlehem!” more relevant than ever
When asked why one should watch the Salzburg Advent Singing, Köhl says: “Advent singing always gives hope. Hope for peace, hope for unity, for good fellowship, for a better world. Ultimately, it’s that hope that keeps growing and that people take home with them.”
The regional media ask the general manager. Mr. Köhl, is there a difference between the current Advent in 2022 and the Advent as you know it from before?
Hans Kohl: “The feeling of the Advent season has changed for me since I took over the direction of the Advent singing and since I came to Salzburg. In Styria, Advent was a peaceful time, I had time to go hunting and time to go to the To walk in nature. It was a really quiet time. When I came to Salzburg, Advent was of course the wedding in the Salzburg Heimatwerk and with Advent singing.”
Did you then get away from contemplation during the Advent season, was it more stressful and less contemplative?
Hans Kohl: “Yes, of course much more stressful. But not in a negative sense, but in a positive sense. Experiencing positive stress and making so many people happy with Advent singing is something very nice and I am very grateful for that. There are so many guests, who come to us and say, without Advent singing there is no Christmas for us. People have often been coming to us for generations.”
Advent singing is a Christian story – is the piece also suitable for people who have nothing to do with the church?
Hans Kohl: “Of course! We now know that there are so many people in society who believe they are turning their backs on the church as an institution, but still have one, are still religious – bringing a message to these people is very important to me. It works with Advent singing It’s not just about the birth of Christ, it’s about creation itself.”
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Will you watch the Salzburg Advent Singing?
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