Highlights 2013
23rd and 24th February, 3rd March: Messias Superstar — Barock meets Jazz
With Messias Superstar, the Concert Choir of Darmstadt presents an exciting new version of Handel’s Messiah (idea and concept: Kilian Forster; arrangement Tobias Forster). The choice for the big-band accompaniment fell on the Hessen State Youth Jazz Orchestra.
The captivating jazz version of Handel’s Messiah played in the Kongresshaus in Heidelberg, in the darmstadtium in Darmstadt and in the Kurhaus in Wiesbaden.
The Klazz Brothers’ setting combines Handel’s rich baroque melodies with the vital power of gospel-spirituals and effervescent classical jazz. This production brings together on the stage the Hessen State Youth Jazz Orchestra, the Concert Choir of Darmstadt, the vocal ensemble vocaldente and the Klazz Brothers, together with the famous soloists Jocelyn B. Smith (jazz-contralto) and Lorraine Hinds (soprano).
Overwhelmingly dramatic music for choir, vocal soloists and big-band!
21st April: Benefit Concert at the Lions Club, Hochheim
4th May: International Big Band Festival Kassel
In the assembly hall of the Heinrich Schütz school, Kassel
A spectacular demonstration of big-band music with the JGS/HSS Big-Band, conducted by Rainer Tigges, the big-band of the Finnish partner school Vaskivuoren lukio Big Band, conducted by Mika Karhunen, and the Hessen State Youth Jazz Orchestra with guest soloist Christopher Klassen. Workshops are also part of the festival — band-leader Wolfgang Diefenbach and the Hessen State Youth Jazz Orchestra coached the musicians of the JGS/HSS Big-Band.
3rd August: Wetzlar Festival — Live in the Rosengärtchen
The Hessen State Youth Jazz Orchestra (Kicks & Sticks) played in the Wetzlar Festival: Wolfgang Diefenbach and the big-band, together with the enthusiastic, talented Kicks & Sticks Voices, demonstrated their ability not only with swing numbers but also with sentimental samba ballads, songs tinged with pop, and Latin jazz in big-band style. The backdrop was one of Germany’s most beautiful stages: the open-air “Rose Garden” arena in the middle of the Wetzlar old town.
9th August: Big Band Bach: Kicks & Sticks goes Baroque — Bach-Week in Ansbach
Band-leader Wolfgang Diefenbach put together a very special programme with exclusive big-band arrangements for the Bach Week in Bavarian Ansbach. Kicks & Sticks played artistic variations — some of them first performances — on themes by Johann Sebastian Bach. Swinging Bach!
29th September: Wiesbaden City Festival
This year the Wiesbaden City Festival took place once again in the city’s prettiest squares. The musical offerings were augmented by the Hessen State Youth Jazz Orchestra (Kicks & Sticks): Wolfgang Diefenbach and the big-band, together with the enthusiastic, talented Kicks & Sticks Voices, demonstrated their ability not only with swing numbers but also with sentimental samba ballads, songs tinged with pop, and Latin jazz in big-band style. Kicks & Sticks performed twice on the main stage in the Dern’sche Gelände, in the heart of the city just in front of the Town Hall.
25th August: Jazz-Garden in the Museums Festival on the banks of the River Main, Frankfurt
For more than 15 years, the Jazz Garden in the beautiful park of the Metzler Villa (Museum für Angewandte Kunst) on the banks of the River Main in Frankfurt has been a regular meeting point for jazz fans, who can expect a varied programme in very special surroundings. Once again, they listened under shady old trees to finest big-band sound.
8th December: Christmas Concert of the Hessen State-Premier in Wiesbaden
Kicks & Kicks and the LandesJugendSinfonieOrchester Hessen joined forces in the Luther-Church
23th December: Christmas Moments with Friends — Junior Band celebrates 5th birthday
Kurhaus Wiesbaden
To celebrate the fifth birthday of the Junior Band, band-leader Wolfgang Diefenbach brought all four ensembles on the stage and presented a breathtaking Christmas programme with Kicks & Sticks, the Junior Band, Kicks & Sticks Voices and the Junior Voices. Christmas Moments with Friends demonstrated new arrangements and also finely-tuned voices in various combinations, making hot, swinging, rocking Christmas songs out of favourite Christmas classics, spiced with funk, soul, gospel and salsa. The Junior Band topped everything off with amazingly fresh-sounding arrangements of traditional Christmas carols from the pen of their band-leader, Holger Fröhlich.
