03.01.2023 Christin Müller 10471

pme donates: Der Straßenchor e.V. Berlin

Founded in 2009, Straßenchor Berlin has become a permanent institution for homeless people, drug addicts and supporters in the capital in the almost 15 years of its existence. With a donation of 20,000 euros, pme Familienservice has enabled the association to realize its big year-end concert "La Vida Loca" on 30.12.2022, among other things. Choir spokeswoman Gundula Schikora gives us an insight into the association's important work.

What exactly is the street choir? Who are the people behind it?

Choirmaster Stefan Schmidt embarked on an unusual mission in the summer of 2009: he put together a choir from homeless people, drug addicts and supporters that made the leap from the streets to the stage in just a few weeks. The unimaginable worked: A CD was released in the fall of 2009.

13 years later, the choir still exists and has opened its doors to anyone who would like to sing with us. The choir is conducted by Stefan Schmidt, a professional concert pianist. An association was founded to finance and organize the projects. The management of the e.V. is made up of Daniela Lorenz (director), Harald Wittstock (deputy director & association law), Rosita Mergen (finances), Gundula Schikora (public relations) and Christian Müller (mediator).

What was the background to the creation of the street choir?

Basically, choirmaster Stefan wanted to give people a chance that they would probably never have had elsewhere. Those who often lack the language can learn through singing that nothing is lost, no matter how bad their lives turn out to be. We give them a voice through this project. We teach people from the margins of society how to help themselves.

The challenge of tackling large projects and seeing them through should help them to incorporate this stamina into their everyday lives and tackle things independently that they would otherwise never have dared to do. There are so many hidden talents that come to light through activity in the choir.

The choir shows people that they are welcome and gives them the courage to give their lives meaning again. We create challenges that they can overcome in the community and with which they can also find their way back into society. We have already helped many people back into life in this way.

The singers of the Straßenchor Berlin prepared for the final concert in 2022 with great dedication.

How many singers are in the ensemble and how often do you rehearse?

Corona has reduced our ensemble quite a bit; we are currently around 20 active singers. We rehearse once a week, but there may also be individual rehearsals and additional vocal rehearsals for larger projects. We regularly rehearse every Thursday evening.

Are there members of the ensemble who have been there from the beginning or does it change regularly?

We still have members who have been with us since the beginning, even though most of them are now in work or have moved into an apartment and now have a regular life that no longer allows them to attend regularly. But from time to time they find their way back to us and see how the project has developed. We now have many new members who support the project with heart and soul and look forward to every challenge.

Can anyone take part or do certain requirements have to be met?

Anyone who likes can join in. The only requirement is that it is clear that we are NOT a conventional choir and that we have neither normal rules nor the usual discipline. The sometimes rough tone takes some getting used to for many. But as the saying goes: Rough shell, soft core. The important thing is to enjoy singing and to be willing to support us at performances.

With your project, you are working to combat loneliness among homeless and drug-addicted people. What specific role does the choir play in this?

The choir is a trailblazer. When choir members manage to sing great classical pieces, they also find the strength to tackle things in their lives. The journey is the destination!

What challenges do you face in everyday life (especially now in winter)?

First of all, we are still looking for a permanent rehearsal room where we can cook for the choir members and which is centrally located. We need a warm place. Because it's cold season and it's easy for someone to fall ill due to insufficiently warm clothing or a lack of living space.

And when someone is missing, insecurities arise, which we counteract with music and singing. Depression, addictions, dependencies, fears, which many have been brought down massively by corona: There are always challenges and we try to create a place for choir members where they feel accepted, liked and valued. It is not particularly easy, especially in these dark times, but we are trying to keep the community together.

You received 20,000 euros from pme Familienservice last year to implement projects? For which project, for example, do you use the donation?

Our big concert "La Vida Loca" took place on December 30. We used the donation to finance the concert and participants and also organized a choir weekend for our choir members, where we prepared extensively for the concert.

A great evening for the audience: The Berlin street choir gave a fantastic performance with "La Vida Loca".

What goals have you set yourself for the next few years?

In the coming years, we will continue to plan major projects, perhaps even abroad. In any case, we are highly motivated not to stand still and to keep surpassing ourselves.

Would you like to find out more about the street choir or would you like to support it? You can find more information on the website of Straßenchor e.V. Berlin.

Social commitment of the pme Familienservice 

Whether in refugee aid, projects for children or the homeless - many team members at pme Familienservice volunteer in their free time. The pme Familienservice also supports social projects in Germany and around the world.

For Christmas 2021, the company donated a total of 120,000 euros to eight charitable organizations that work for disadvantaged people, children and young people or other issues on a daily basis. All 2,000 team members had the opportunity to submit their own suggestions for social projects that they consider particularly worthy of support. The associations with the most votes received financial support to implement their projects. 

Photos: Gabriele Senft