Germany. 2,000 choir members gathered for a musical tribute to Albert Schweitzer at the Baden Choir Festival.

A varied program of workshops, concerts, and group singing awaits visitors on open-air stages, in community centers, churches, and cultural institutions. More than 2,000 singers come from Germany, France, and Switzerland.

The 2025 Choral Festival will open its doors on Friday, July 4 at 6 p.m. With the premiere of the oratorio "At the Heart of Life," composed by conductor Traugott Fünfgeld to a text by Thomas Weiß on the occasion of Albert Schweitzer 's 150th birthday, the work explores several aspects of the life and work of the physician, philosopher, theologian, and musician, such as respect for life, commitment to others, and international understanding. The oratorio thus gives space to the desire for humanity, freedom, empathy, justice, peace among nations, and the preservation of our planet.

For the premiere at the Baden Choir Festival 2025 in Emmendingen, an international choral project was created, consisting of amateur singers from Baden, Alsace, and Switzerland. Further concerts are planned in Strasbourg, Offenburg, Bern, Basel, and Berlin throughout 2025.

Following the premiere of the oratorio "At the Heart of Life," supported by the Albert Schweitzer German Center, a round table discussion will take place on the Market Square stage on Friday evening.

Another highlight will be the performance of the SWR vocal ensemble, conducted by Yuval Weinberg, in the town church starting at 9 p.m.

On Saturday, the Baden Choir Festival 2025 offers a comprehensive program for participants and visitors of all ages. After the opening with wind instruments and a free singing session on the market square (from 10:30 a.m.), numerous workshops will be offered at various locations in the city center, as well as a program for children's choirs and a children's musical. In addition, choirs and wind instruments will showcase their talents on various stages and squares. Albert Schweitzer's "At the Heart of Life" will be performed for a second time on the market square from 2 p.m., this time as a sung oratorio.

For more information about the Baden Choir Festival, visit the website www.chorfest-baden.de.