Rheine. A broad alliance for democracy and the rule of law is inviting people to a “Long Europe Night” in churches, cinemas, pubs and cultural institutions next Saturday, May 4, 2024. To kick off the European Night, the parishes of St. Dionysius and Jakobi are inviting people to an ecumenical service in the town church on Marktplatz at 18:30. The service with Pastor Thomas Lemanski and Pastor Claudia Raneberg will be accompanied by the chamber orchestra Rheine. It will play “Air” from the Overture No. 3 in D major by Johann Sebastian Bach and a Pavane by Maurice Ravel.
Immediately after the service, the chamber orchestra Rheine will make a clear musical statement for a united Europe in a half-hour concert. Under the direction of Raija-Liisa von der Ehe, the orchestra will perform a cross-section of Europe’s rich musical tradition. Works by European composers will take center stage. They will include Jean Sibelius (Finland), Ottorino Respighi (Italy) Gustav Holst (Great Britain), Béla Bartók (Hungary) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Germany). The concert will conclude with the quintessential European melody, Freude schöner Götterfunken from Ludwig van Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Admission to this short concert is free.
The chamber orchestra Rheine has been a string orchestra since 2012. Its repertoire includes works from the Baroque, Romantic and Classical periods through to the modern era. The chamber orchestra also enjoys performing with other ensembles such as choirs and soloists at its concerts. The chamber orchestra is now firmly established in the cultural landscape of Rheine and the surrounding area.
After the chamber orchestra’s concert, the “Long European Night” program continues with readings and concerts in the Falkenhof, the film “Tomorrow is another day” in Zinema City and live performances by numerous music groups in 19 inner-city restaurants. Visitors can also find information about Europe and take part in the digital Europe game. The full program can be found via QR codes printed on beer mats and flyers, which are available in the restaurants and many other places. The organizers of all these activities are the Europa-Union Steinfurt e.V., the Society for Security Policy – Section Rheine and the town twinning association Rheine e.V. The Minister for Europe of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia presented the organizers with an award for the project, which draws attention to the European elections in June.