Biography

The German-American Community Choir e.V. (GACC e.V.) was founded in 1973 by the US military stationed in Frankfurt – with the aim of strengthening and deepening international friendship through their shared love of music.

After the withdrawal of the American forces from Frankfurt in 1995, the choir re-formed and is now a registered, non-profit association. The choir currently has about 180 active members, including Germans, Americans and members of other nationalities.

The GACC e.V. usually presents its wide musical repertoire in three concerts projects a year: a spring concert dedicated to classical music, an autumn concert dedicated to light music and the typically 7 Christmas performances of the “Singing Christmas Tree®”. The Christmas concerts with German and American Christmas carols presented every year on the second weekend of Advent, is the largest choral event and the hallmark of the GACC. In addition, the choir regularly gives Christmas concerts at the Christmas market at the Römer in Frankfurt.

Thanks to the hospitality of the parish of Frauenfrieden and the endless efforts of the members of the choir, it has been possible to give the “Singing Christmas Tree®” in the Frauenfriedenskirche a “home” after 1995, when the American Chapel was no longer available.

Highlights of the long choral history include:

1981:
Salieri’s “Hofkapellmeister-Messe” conducted by Marcel Seminara

1987:
Performance of “The Singing Christmas Tree ®” in “Mensch Meier” with Alfred Biolek on WDR broadcast

1989:
Performance of Arthur Honegger’s “King David” at the Alte Oper in Frankfurt am Main

1991:
Participation in the film adaptation of Bach’s “Johannes Passion” entitled “It would be good that a human being would be killed for the people”, directed by Hugo Niebeling:
https://www.moviepilot.de/movies/es-waere-gut-da-ein-mensch-wuerde-umbracht-fuer-das-volk

1992:
Performance of the “Mass” and “Chichester Psalms” by Bernstein for the “Hessischer Rundfunk”. The performance of the Bernstein Mass was the first in the Frankfurt area and the second in Germany at all. 

1995:
Performance of Purcell’s “The Fairy Queen” conducted by Eberhard Friedrich

2003:
The European premiere of Glenn McClure’s “Caribbean Mass” accompanied by the composer and his steel band in the broadcasting hall of the “Hessischer Rundfunk”

2005:
Performance of “Missa for Pipes, Phones, Voices & Drums” by and with Peter Schindler and the trio “Pipes and Phones”

2007:
Semi-staged performance of the comic opera “H.M.S. Pinafore” by Gilbert & Sullivan under the direction of Jim Schar

2012:
Performance of “Annelies”, a musical adaptation of the diary of Anne Frank by James Whitbourn conducted by Linda Horowitz

2017:
Performance of “Misatango” by Martin Palmeri under the direction of Kushtrim Gashi