The audience has probably never laughed so heartily at a performance by the 7th-grade theater workshop—and they laughed all evening long. The atmosphere in the packed Forum was lively from start to finish, with the audience applauding seamlessly from one scene to the next. – This is the best sign that the students, teachers, and the professional actors assisting with the direction did everything just right.

Classes 7b, 7c, and 7a performed their plays in exactly that order. “False Suspicion” was the title of the play that Class 7b had rehearsed under the direction of Ines Vielhaben and Daniel Sempf. In a brilliant way, the young ensemble managed to transform a current and rather serious topic into an entertaining stage play: A murder had taken place during a demonstration by supporters of a united Europe against advocates of a unified Germany. With expressive acting, plenty of wit, and obvious enjoyment of the performance, they succeeded in presenting the case and its resolution in such a way that they perfectly struck the right humorous note with the mostly adult audience, despite the not-so-funny real-life context.

“Once and Never Again” was the title of the play by Class 7c, which had been brought to the stage under the direction of Lisa Braun and Michael Pietsch. It dealt with the hurdles a long-term couple had to overcome while planning their wedding. Almost everything went wrong; no one did their job with the necessary care—leaving behind a rather stressed-out bride whose nerves frayed with every mishap. Of course, when you’re the one in trouble, you don’t have to worry about the mockery: the audience’s amusement grew in direct proportion to the chaos. A great performance by Class 7c, which received a lot of applause.

The presentation that Melisande Lauginiger and Michael Köckritz had prepared with Class 7a depicted scenes from “real” family life. Three families—each different enough in their own right and dealing with various internal conflicts—come together at a family therapy center. There, they learn that things aren’t going smoothly elsewhere either and even form personal connections—only to end up asking themselves whether the therapist at the center might actually be the craziest one of all. The question “Uh, is this the bar?” was the anticipated way out of the chaos—and at the same time, the title of the production.

After the three performances, the audience left the Steinmühlenforum visibly entertained and in high spirits. That evening had once again shown that, when it comes to theater, the Steinmühle couldn’t ask for anything better than the fantastic dedication of their fellow students, the enjoyment all seventh graders took in the experience, and the acting guidance they received from professional actors Daniel Sempf, Michael Pietsch, and Michael Köckritz.

Art teacher Ines Vielhaben reports on the interdisciplinary Impressionism project in the introductory phase at Steinmühle:

Impressionism was a politically and culturally turbulent period in which rigid forms in music and art were replaced by evocative snapshots. For the composer Debussy, music is “the art of sound and color.” Thus, as the 19th century drew to a close, music and art were, at least linguistically, very closely related.

Students in the art and music classes of the introductory phase were to explore the themes of mutual inspiration and dialogue between the arts in a joint lesson. Through not only theory but also the use of brushes, clay, and instruments, the classes taught by Ulrike Wilmsmeyer and Ines Vielhaben explored the Impressionist era.

In one workshop, for example, the musicians and artists listened together to Ravel’s famous *Boléro* and allowed the music to evoke moods and associations. The artist then distilled these into a landscape motif, which she rendered on paper with broad brushstrokes, while the musicians practiced the underlying rhythm and the main melody in their various keys for the presentations.

Marie Sans performs Claude Debussy’s “La cathédrale engloutie” to open the presentations, while images of Claude Monet’s “Rouen Cathedral, 1893” are projected and artwork by students Hannah and Sarah is on display.

During the presentation, the mosaic of different thematic focuses coalesced into a broad tapestry, which was further enriched by insights into contemporary history provided in the presentations by students Julia, Lina, and Fynn.

The Weidenhäuser Bridge: From a certain vantage point in the hallway of the Hessenhaus, the bridge appears to be connected, but in reality, the two parts were painted separately on wallpaper by students Chiara and Jana using their characteristic broad brushstrokes.

The highlight of the lesson was the reflection session following the presentations, during which all participants—still filled with impressionistic melodies and impressions of the visual arts—discussed the parallels and differences. In the process, connections were drawn between the dissolution of forms and contours in art and unresolved harmonies in music. It was concluded that, thematically, both disciplines have used atmospheres and moods as inspiration for their works.

It is impressive how fruitful the exchange between the arts—which are always kept separate in school curricula—can be, and how the spirit of an era can be conveyed much more comprehensively than a single subject can achieve.

On Friday, the Forum was the setting for what may have been the Steinmühle’s largest cultural project to date. At the very least, there have probably never been so many participants filling the space with song and music. And it wasn’t just any music. It was Mozart’s Requiem, the composer’s final work and, at the same time, one of his most beloved.

After more than six months of rehearsals, 130 singers from the Klangforum, along with 23 orchestra members and five soloists, gathered. They were all preparing for their joint performances on the following two days in Bad Homburg and Marburg. For over two hours, participants of all ages rehearsed under the highly professional guidance of choir director Daniel Sans, who is also a concert tenor and music teacher at the Steinmühle.

“An Unforgettable Event”

After the weekend, he himself was full of praise: “Being able to share this brilliant music with students, parents, and teachers from Steinmühle in our wonderful forum was a truly memorable experience.” Sans reported that the two concerts on the following days were completely sold out. “It was an unforgettable event to have delighted over 1,000 people with Mozart’s music.”

The Klangforum, led by Daniel Sans, is made up largely of teachers, students, and parents who love to sing. The members meet every Friday evening to sing at the Forum and are still open to new participants. Unlike the choir director, these participants do not need to be professionals. What matters is enjoying singing together in a group of mixed ages and having the courage to perhaps refine one’s own voice a little more.

The photos give a glimpse of the rehearsals. Two of the photos show the participants during the subsequent official performance.