The program is characterized by the anniversary of the Cross of Nails, large choir concerts and jazz
Peace, reconciliation, and grand choral music are the focus of the November program at the Evangelical City Church in Darmstadt. In addition to celebrating the 50th anniversary of its membership in the International Community of the Cross of Nails, visitors can expect a diverse cultural program. Highlights include Mendelssohn's "Hymn of Praise" with more than 130 performers, two jazz concerts, a cappella pop from Sweden, and a reading by comic artist Flix.
The series of events, "500 Years of Reformation in Darmstadt," begins on Sunday, November 1, 2026, with the conclusion of the anniversary series. At 10:00 a.m., Ulrike Scherf, Vice President of the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau (EKHN), will deliver a sermon on the significance of the Reformation for a shrinking church.
50 years of the Community of the Cross of Nails: A sign of reconciliation
For 50 years, Darmstadt's city church has been part of the worldwide Community of the Cross of Nails. The movement originated from the story of Coventry Cathedral in England, whose roof was destroyed in a German air raid in 1940. The Cross of Nails, a symbol of peace and reconciliation, was created from carpenter's nails salvaged from the ruins.
For Darmstadt, which was also largely destroyed in the firebombing of 1944, this connection has a special significance.
On the weekend of November 7th and 8th, the city church will host the Southwest Regional Conference of the German Community of the Cross of Nails. The anniversary will be accompanied by several musical events.
On Saturday, November 7, organist Christian Roß will open the program at 11:30 a.m. with the organ matinee "Music for Peace & Reconciliation." At 5:00 p.m., the Darmstadt Cantorei Chamber Choir will perform the choral concert "...where justice and peace..." featuring works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, and Caroline Shaw.
On Sunday, November 8th, at 6 p.m., a Choral Evensong in the Anglican tradition will be performed. The Darmstadt Singing School Youth Choir, members of the Darmstadt Cantorei, and the Darmstadt Baroque Soloists will perform cantata movements by Bach and Vivaldi. Misty Schaffert will play the organ.
More than 130 performers in Mendelssohn's "Hymn of Praise"
Another musical highlight will follow on Sunday, November 22nd, at 4 pm. The Darmstadt Kantorei, the Freiberg Cathedral Choir from Darmstadt's Saxon twin city, and the Deutsche Philharmonie Merck will jointly perform two important works.
The program includes Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy's Second Symphony "Lobgesang" and Leonard Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms." Both compositions combine Jewish and Christian traditions and explore themes of hope and humanity.
More than 130 singers and orchestral musicians are involved. The solo parts will be sung by Sonja Grevenbrock (soprano), Annekathrin Laabs (mezzo-soprano), and Theodore Browne (tenor). Christian Roß will conduct. Cathedral Cantor Albrecht Koch will prepare the Freiberg Cathedral Choir.
Two jazz evenings with young ensembles
The Live!Jazz concert series continues in November. On Saturday, November 14th, at 7:30 pm, the Volker Heuken Trio will perform at the town church. The ensemble will present their program "Future Backup" as part of their release tour.
The music blends melodic indie jazz with electronic elements. Volker Heuken on vibraphone, Lukas Grossmann on synthesizer and Hammond organ, and Johannes Koch on drums create an atmospheric sound somewhere between jazz and electronic music.
On Saturday, November 28th, also at 7:30 pm, the Hamburg quartet BLUFF will perform. The band, consisting of Tim Scherer (piano), Christian Höhn (trumpet), Lucas Kolbe (bass) and Matteo Stefani (drums), has already attracted attention at festivals such as ELBJAZZ and JazzBaltica.
A cappella pop and brass instruments with humor
On Friday, November 6th, at 8 pm, the Swedish a cappella group DAD HARMONY will perform in Darmstadt. The five singers became famous through a video in which they sang together in a hot tub during a bachelor party. The clip garnered more than 23 million views on TikTok.
The group now delights international audiences with a cappella versions of well-known pop songs. Darmstadt's city church is one of eleven stops on their European tour.
Things will get humorous on Sunday, November 15th, at 6 pm. Under the title "Only Love (Lippe) Counts", the BlechReiz Brass Quintet will present original compositions and arrangements about love, partnership and everyday family life.
Singing together at the Night of Spiritual Songs
The 13th Darmstadt Night of Spiritual Songs will take place on Friday, November 13th, at 7:30 pm.
Under the motto "Singing together for healing", people of different origins, religions and languages are invited to sing peace songs, mantras and meditative chants from various traditions together.
No prior musical knowledge is required. Listeners are also welcome. The evening will be presented by Jutta Weis, Andreas Kroitzsch, Sonja Gerster, Iris Zeuner, and Elisabeth and Joel Hafermann.
Admission is free. Donations collected at the exit will benefit a hospice in the region.
Comic artist Flix presents his first novel
On Friday, November 27th, at 7:30 pm, comic artist and author Flix will be a guest at the city church. He became known, among other things, for his work "Spirou in Berlin".
In Darmstadt, he is presenting his first novel, "Immerland – The City of Eternity." The story tells of twelve-year-old Mika, an extraordinary summer, and a mysterious city where wishes come true.
The reading is aimed particularly at young readers aged twelve and up. It is organized by the Friends of Culture at the City Church.
On Saturday, November 28th, at 11:30 a.m., an organ matinee with Jorin Sandau will conclude the month's program. Sandau is the regional cantor and church musician at St. Ludwig's Church, as well as a lecturer in organ improvisation at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts.
The most important dates in November
November 1st, 10 a.m.: Conclusion of the sermon series “500 Years of Reformation” with Ulrike Scherf
November 6th, 8 pm: DAD HARMONY – Europe Tour 2026
November 7, 11:30 a.m.: Organ matinee “Music for Peace & Reconciliation”
November 7th, 5 pm: Choir concert “… where justice and peace …”
November 8th, 6 pm: Choral Evensong for the anniversary of the Cross of Nails
November 13, 7:30 p.m.: 13th Darmstadt Night of Spiritual Songs
November 14, 7:30 p.m.: Live! Jazz with the Volker Heuken Trio
November 15, 6 p.m.: BlechReiz Brass Quintet – “Only love (Lippe) counts”
November 22, 4 p.m.: Mendelssohn's "Lobgesang" and Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms"
November 27, 7:30 p.m.: Reading with Flix – “Immerland – The City of Eternity”
November 28, 11:30 a.m.: Organ matinee with Jorin Sandau
November 28, 7:30 p.m.: Live! Jazz with BLUFF
Admission and tickets
The organ matinees, the choir concert on November 7th, and the Night of Spiritual Songs are free of charge. Donations or a collection are welcome.
Tickets are available for the other events. For the Live!Jazz concerts, advance tickets cost €20, or €10 for concessions. Tickets at the door cost €25, or €12.50 for concessions.
Venue: Evangelical City Church Darmstadt, An der Stadtkirche 1, 64283 Darmstadt
Tickets and further information: www.stadtkirche-darmstadt.de
(DARMSTADT – RED/PM)
