The farewell concert for Thomas Braun was one of the greatest musical spectacles that Salem has ever experienced. Rehearsals had been going on diligently for weeks beforehand, consistently but always combined with fun. It was a lot of work, but in the final phase – on the Friday and Saturday before the concert – the joy was great. A total of 40 former Salem students from the years 1991 to 2023 came back from all over the world to make music together. This meant that the orchestra was suddenly more than twice as big as before. The dress rehearsals went great!

There was a lot of nervousness just before the performance. The auditorium was packed and the applause from the audience lifted the mood to atmospheric heights right from the start of the performance.

The orchestra opened with Scipio's March. This was followed by thunderous applause and a brief welcome from the management of Schule Schloss Salem, Mr. Henrik Fass and Mr. Thomas Obitz. This was followed by classical pieces by Beethoven and Schubert. Pianist Celina Gosch played Mozart's concert rondo, after which the school choir performed four beautiful pieces: "Come, all who thirst", "Castle in the cloud", "Going up yonder" and "Singa Yesu Singa". This was followed by the Gopak, a lively orchestral piece for the violins, and finally the Madrigal Choir from Überlingen joined the school choir and, in harmony with the orchestra, offered a bombastic tapestry of sound in Eatnemen Vuelie and three pieces by Jenkins, which virtually overwhelmed the audience. The concert ended with never-ending applause. The almost two-hour concert was a wonderful highlight in the 104-year history of Salem. Many thanks to Thomas Braun for this unforgettable concert – and 34 years of work at Schule Schloss Salem!

Photos: Ilja Mess