In late March, we had the opportunity to visit Cracow’s partner city of Nuremberg, Germany, at the invitation of the Die Trällerpfeifen choir. Together with our hosts, we performed two full concerts; we also had a mini-performance in Nuremberg’s historic city hall, where we sang Karma Chameleon by Culture Club.
The theme of both our performances were love songs, with Kolorowe sny by the Polish 1990s-era boysband Just 5 clearly becoming a favourite with our audiences. German translations of all our Polish-language songs were provided in the programme leaflets we had prepared for this occasion.
We managed to surprise our audiences with our rendition of Ode to Joy – we sang two stanzas in the original German, which was met with great enthusiasm. As a closing number, we sang This Is Me (a song from the film The Greatest Showman) jointly with the Die Trällerpfeifen; the performance was nothing short of powerful and moving.
Aside from music, we filled our stay in Nuremberg with taking in its many attractions. On Friday, we were taken on a walking tour of the city’s old town by a Polish-language guide, which gave us the opportunity to marvel at Nuremberg’s many historic buildings (and in lovely spring weather, too). On Sunday, our hosts took us on a different tour, this time aboard a decommissioned historic tram carriage; the trip, the snacks, the sights and the stories made for a fantastic experience that helped us get to know our hosts, their home city and each other better.
Our heartfelt thanks go to the Die Trällerpfeifen for inviting us, opening their homes to some of our choristers, for the incredibly warm welcome and the great energy throughout our stay and concerts. The initiative has been a true celebration of collaboration between our two cities!
Cracow and Nuremberg have been partner cities for over forty years. As part of this collaboration, multiple educational, sporting, religious and, most importantly for us, cultural projects have been brought to fruition – we are happy to have been able to contribute to that special relationship and cannot wait for another such opportunity!
Cracow and Nuremberg have been partner cities for over forty years. As part of this collaboration, multiple educational, sporting, religious and, most importantly for us, cultural projects have been brought to fruition – we are happy to have been able to contribute to that special relationship and cannot wait for another such opportunity!
Polish text: Kasandra Żukowska
Translated by: Zofia Wąchocka