Saturday | October 31 | 5 p.m. | Castle Church (Schlosskirche)
Reformation Day Concert: The Heavens Declare the Glory of God
Hymns of Praise Spanning Five Centuries – Symphonic Organ Music
Rainer Weiss (Bayreuth), baritone • Ulrich Hirtzbruch, organ
Admission: €16 | Reduced: €12 | Available via www.reservix.de and at the door

Experience gems of the vocal repertoire: sacred concert pieces, lieder, and arias, complemented by symphonic organ music from Germany, France, and the Netherlands. The program features works for voice and organ by Schütz, Bach, Beethoven, Rheinberger, Dvořák, and Langlais, alongside organ compositions by Bunk, Dubois, and Zwart.
Look forward to the convergence of a magnificent voice, a symphonic organ, and a resonant church interior!
Pastor Birgit Neumann-Becker, Director of the Protestant Preachers' Seminary in Wittenberg, will provide liturgical reflections for the Reformation Day celebration.

Inspired by his mentors Brigitte Fassbaender and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone Rainer Weiss has always placed lieder and concert repertoire at the heart of his singing, alongside his opera career. His work in oratorios has led to collaborations with artists including Helmuth Rilling, Viktor Lukas, Joshua Rifkin, and Rudolf Lutz. Rainer Weiss has appeared with his lieder programs at major music festivals throughout Europe. Beginning in 2008, he taught at the music conservatories in Detmold and Herford.
Since 2024, Ulrich Hirtzbruch has served as cantor and organist at the Castle Church in Wittenberg. Previously, he held the position of cantor in Gronau (Westphalia). Following his tenure as a district cantor in the Münsterland region, Hirtzbruch was appointed State Church Music Director for the Evangelical Church of Westphalia in 2005; in 2008, he received an appointment to the University of Church Music in Herford, where he served as vice-rector from 2018 to 2024. He has a particular passion for the symphonic organ music of the Romantic era.
This concert will feature the historic Ladegast organ; consequently, both artists will perform from the organ loft. For this occasion, the side galleries will also be open to the audience.