The Kieler Knabenchor (Kiel boys choir) is an established institution of Scheswig-Holstein, the most northern state of Germany and exists since over 50 years. Other than most German boys choirs, the Kieler Knabenchor isn't based on an independent association, because it is situated and institutionalized as an after-school-activity for all students in Kiel and the suburban areas around the capital of Schleswig-Holstein.
Based on this solid foundation, the choir is able to give its singers a wide variaty of activities. Besides small concerts all over Northern Germany, international concert tours, rehearsing-weekends and occasional freetime-activities, the choir is also based as a liturgical choir at St. Nicolai's church, right in the city centre of Kiel. Therefore the repertoire of the choir ranges from the traditional sacral choirmusic of the 16th century up to modern arrangements of Folksongs and symphonic choral works.
Boys that choose to become a singer in the Kieler Knabenchor have to go through a two-year-period as a trainee before joining the trebles and men-voices of the concert choir in their performances throughout the school-year.
Usually, the boys are casted in primary-school visits or audition for the trainee-program after they heard the choir perform in concerts or church-services. Within the first two years as a singer in the trainee-choir, the boys are rehearsing once a week to learn some vocal basics, elementary music theory and have their first performances. After they proved to be talented, reliable and motivated enough to join the concert choir, they attend the rehearsals with the older boys twice a week as a Soprano or Alto.
All the boys and young men in the Kieler Knabenchor have the possibility to train their voices individually with highly specialized voice teachers on a voluntary basis. Some of them even perform as soloists in performances of other choirs in the region. Usually the boys join the treble voices (Soprano or Alto) until the end of 7th grade, until they switch into the lower voices (Tenor or Bass), occasionally after a short period of "voice change".
Depending on the individual circumstances, the Kieler Knabenchor performes about four concerts, attends about six masses, goes on one major concert-tour and has several choir-weekends, rehearsing-days and freetime-activities throughout the school-year. The choir is blessed with its own premises right in the city centre of Kiel.
The patron of the Kieler Knabenchor is the prime minister of Schleswig-Hostein, Daniel Günther.
