Peter Schindler: Missa in Jazz

Peter Schindler, organ
Peter Lehel, saxophone
Dirk Blümlein, electric bass
Markus Faller, percussion
Kammerchor Baden-Württemberg
Jochen Woll (conductor)

The heavens of music
25 years of Peter Schindler's "Missa in Jazz"

"... these are the heavens of music, not Luther's or the Pope's!" With these words, the reviewer characterized Peter Schindler's "Missa in Jazz" after its premiere in 2001 in Stuttgart's Leonhardskirche. Schindler had written his jazz mass especially for the Baden-Württemberg Chamber Choir and his trio "Pipes and Phones" (organ - Peter Schindler, saxophone - Peter Lehel, percussion - Markus Faller).
The result is a "super-religious" setting of the centuries-old Ordinary of the Mass, in which modern rhythms and sounds are combined with echoes of the various stylistic influences to which the setting of the Mass text has been subjected throughout history (e.g. Gregorian chant, polyphonic fugue technique, Romantic sound structures). The saxophone, the showpiece instrument of jazz, corresponds ideally with the choir and organ. Jazzy improvisations alternate with notated sections. The percussion takes on the function of "timekeeper" and impulse generator and ensures a continuous groove.
This very personal mixture of virtuoso concert piece and universal confession of faith has quickly become a real success story. Countless performances all over the world have shown and continue to show that Schindler has struck a chord with our times with this work.
For the quarter-century anniversary, it has now been possible to bring all the musicians from the world premiere together again. The Missa in Jazz will be performed in concerts in Bietigheim, Heidelberg and Stuttgart with the trio "Pipes and Phones" (Peter Schindler - organ, Peter Lehel - saxophone, Markus Faller - percussion, complemented by Dirk Blümlein - electric bass) and the Baden-Württemberg Chamber Choir under the direction of Jochen Woll.