This past weekend a few of us went to join our old friend and colleague Martin Knizia in the Berlin suburb of Altglienicke, where he his Kantor of the Pfarrkirche. Martin had decided to put on a performance of one of his favourite pieces, Schütz’s Musicalische Exequien, as part of a service to mark Totensonntag (death Sunday, i.e. the conclusion of the church year, prior to Advent Sunday).

Martin directed the parish choir he has inherited in his new position, and we sang the ripieno/soloisten parts of the work, as well as the motet Selig sind die Toten, with other colleagues from the RIAS-Kammerchor. The performance and service was well-received and we look forward to the opportunity to return for similar collaborative events in future.