Dear Members of the International Heinrich-Schütz-Society,
I very much hope that you have all fared well in these difficult times. Sadly I need to inform you that with a heavy heart the Board and Council of the ISG has had to make the decision to cancel this year’s International Heinrich-Schütz-Festival, scheduled to take place in Lemgo from 24th to 27th September. The main reason for the cancellation is the lack of planning security. Nobody can predict at this point whether concerts, conferences and church services will be allowed to go ahead by September. In this uncertain situation the Board and Council could not responsibly take on financial commitments, such as room hire, adversiting etc., which the ISG may later need to cover from its own funds.
We would like to thank all those individuals and institutions who have been involved in preparations for the International Heinrich-Schütz-Festival 2020, in particular our cooperation partners in Lemgo. We hope to be able to reschedule the Festival in Lemgo in a future year. By this point legal procedures have been put in place for enabling member’s meetings held digitally or via post. You will receive further information in good time on how our general meeting 2020 will be conducted.
The numerous cancellations of concerts and whole festivals are also affecting many freelance musicians. Unfortunately as a Society we are unable to organise our own aid programme. If you would like to support these musicians, who find themselves in trouble through no fault of their own, you can do so, for instance, via the emergency fund of the Deutsche Orchesterstiftung. The account details for donations are:
Deutsche Orchesterstiftung
Kennwort: Nothilfefonds
IBAN: DE35 1004 0000 0114 1514 05
BIC: COBADEFFXXX
At the beginning of April we received the sad news that our honorary member Cornelis van Zwol passed away on 31 March 2020. Walter Werbeck wrote an obitiuary on behalf of our Society, which has been published on our webpage. Cornelis van Zwol offered important impulses for our work in his time, not least in his role as a Board member of the ISG. We will hold his memory in honour.
During the last general meeting in Karlsruhe the Council presented various plans for the future of our Society. Among them were ideas for a new cover of our Schütz-Jahrbuch. Plans for this have advanced well, but here too current events are causing some delays. The new Schütz-Jahrbuch will most likely be ready to send out to you in late summer this year.
I send all members of the ISG good wishes in these uncertain times, especially for good health. I would be delighted if we could see each other at the next International Heinrich-Schütz-Festival, which is scheduled for the 1st to 4th July 2021 in Wolfenbüttel.
Arno Paduch
President
