2025 Tour: Travelogue 2 - Hamburg & Hannover
Dear Friends,
After four remarkable days in the beautiful German capital city of Berlin, the Georgia Boy Choir loaded their luggage beneath the coach, boarded with energy and anticipation, and turned northwest toward the port city of Hamburg.
Upon arriving at the Staatliche Jugendmusikschule—the Youth Music School of Hamburg—the Choir was warmly greeted by their hosts, the Neuer Knabenchor Hamburg. A shared meal broke the ice as laughter and chatter filled the courtyard. The families of the Neuer Knabenchor Hamburg would graciously host the Georgians in their homes for the next two nights, and already friendships were forming that would only deepen through song and shared experience.
The following morning, the choristers returned with stories of kind hosts, cozy homes, and delicious German breakfasts. They quickly turned their attention to the task at hand: preparing for two performances in one day. Their first stop was the Michaeliskirche, known affectionately as “Der Michel”—a towering Baroque landmark in the Hamburg skyline. As the boys stepped into the grand sanctuary where the composer Johannes Brahms was baptized, they were awed by the church’s soaring ceilings and gleaming white galleries. Following a short service of prayer and reflection, the Georgia Boy Choir presented a recital of a cappella sacred song. The sizable audience was rapt in silent attention throughout and applauded loudly and gratefully at the conclusion. Several attendees with tears in their eyes even began shouting thanks for the moving performance.
Later that afternoon, after having enjoyed the city of Hamburg in small groups, exploring shops and bakeries, and taking in the rhythm of life along the canals, the Choir reconvened at the magnificent St. Marien Dom for rehearsal and a pizza dinner with the boys of the Neuer Knabenchor. What followed was an unforgettable evening concert. Set beneath vaulted ceilings and colored glass, this performance was both intimate and grand. Both Choirs sounded superb in their own right, but when they combined their voices on Anton Bruckner’s treasured motet, “Locus Iste” to conclude the concert, the result was truly remarkable.
NEW VIDEO!
The Georgia Boy Choir – Ave Maria by Vladimir Vavilov (attr. Giulio Caccini)
The next morning, the boys said their farewells to their host families, but before leaving Hamburg, they stopped to experience one of the city’s most whimsical treasures: Miniatur Wunderland. This sprawling model train museum is home to the largest miniature railway system in the world—and it’s not just trains. The exhibit recreates entire cities and natural wonders in breathtaking detail, complete with working lights, moving vehicles, and even a functioning model airport. The boys explored with wide eyes and joyful laughter, discovering tiny worlds within the walls of the museum.
By midafternoon, the journey continued to their next destination, the bustling city of Hannover where they received another warm welcome, this time from members of Knabenchor Hannover who graciously took the Americans into their homes for the next couple of days.
On Wednesday morning, as the Choir was touring Hannover’s beautiful City Hall (the Neues Rathaus) they were asked to sing a song in the splendid acoustic of the grand staircase in the center of the majestic Hall. As the silvery strains of their voices wafted through the building they reached the ears of Belit Onay, the Oberbürgermeister, or Lord Mayor of Hannover, who left his office to investigate the source of the glorious sound. When they finished singing, he was eager to congratulate the boys on their marvelous artistry and welcome them to the city.
A short while later, as the Choir members were tossing a Frisbee and relaxing in a nearby park, they were approached by staff from a youth organization running a children’s literature festival nearby. She had also heard them singing in the Rathaus ans asked if they would be willing to sing—right now—in a circus tent packed with local schoolchildren? Of course they would. Within minutes, the Choir stood in front of hundreds of delighted kids, sharing a song in the most spontaneous performance of the tour. The children literally squealed with delight and the teachers beamed. Moments like these can’t be planned—but they are often the most memorable.
The evening brought the highlight of their stay in Hannover: a combined concert with the Knabenchor Hannover at the Marktkirche, the grand, central church of the city. The boys rehearsed alongside their German counterparts, sharing notes, nods, and encouragement as they prepared to fill the historic space with song. That evening, the two choirs stood together under the vaulted ceiling of the Marktkirche and gave a performance that transcended language. Two cultures, one sound, and more friendships forged through the bonding agent of music.
As they stood side by side, bowed to the crowd, and walked off stage together, it was clear that these young men weren’t just performers on a tour—they were ambassadors of beauty, of brotherhood, and of music.
With hearts full and voices strong, the Georgia Boy Choir once again boarded their coach the next morning, bound for Leipzig and the next chapter in their story.
Until next time,
The Georgia Boy Choir Germany, Czechia & Austria Tour Team
