Heino and Barbara Wussow dream of “eternal peace”

Heino and Barbara Wussow dream of “eternal peace”

“Dear homeland, I long for you. Only for you does the tear shine in the eye.” This highly emotional song by the prisoners’ choir from Verdi’s “Nabucco” was just one of the many highlights of a brilliant concert on Friday evening in Allendorf’s St. Crucis Church.

The star of the evening was the master of German folk music: Heino, whose real name is Heinz Georg Kramm. He brought two top-class artists with him. With the actress Barbara Wussow (63) and the composer and organist Franz Lambert (76) he formed a trio that quickly captured the hearts of the audience. “Peace for Eternity” is the title of a tour that will have stopped in 25 cities in Germany and Austria until the beginning of February – Bad Sooden-Allendorf was one of them on Friday evening. .

These church concerts were initiated while she was still alive by Heino’s wife, Hannelore Kramm, who died suddenly a year ago. He was married to the love of his life for 44 years and kept her death a secret for a week in order to say goodbye quietly.

He wanted to say thank you to God “for preserving my love of music to this day,” said Heino, explaining his appearances in places of worship. Having just turned 86 years old, Heino continues to impress with his powerful and unmistakable baritone voice and a stage presence that captivates his fans.

His soulful “Ave Maria” and “I pray to the power of love” touched the hearts of the listeners, as did “So take my hands” – a song that he likes to sing at weddings.

“If Heino is no longer around, then soon no one will sing her anymore,” said his manager Helmut Werner, encouraging all parents to sing German folk songs with their children. He provided samples of this with, among other things, “Hohe Tannen” and “No Beautiful Land in This Time”, part of his first album.

When he was six years old, he heard the song “Home, Your Stars” on the radio. That’s when he decided to become a singer, says the 86-year-old, who has released more than 50 million records to date. At the time of the Beatles, he was often ridiculed as a folk singer and sometimes even treated with hostility. Heino: “The Beatles are gone, but I’m still here,” he received stormy applause.

In the meantime, Barbara Wussow, also known to an audience of millions from the TV series “The Dream Ship,” shared thoughtful things. During several readings she complained that loud and aggressive sounds were a plague for people, but also spoke of the powerlessness of darkness against a small light.

Christmas, she philosophized, begins “when the have-nots share with the have-nots.” And she also had a joke in store: What would the three wise men have said at the manger in Bethlehem if they had been female? Answer: “The boy doesn’t seem anything like Joseph.”

All in all: a musical and literary absolute highlight, celebrated with standing ovations by an enthralled audience.