The Steinmühle is known, among other things, for its successful and well-organized music events. Students and teachers also know how to respond flexibly when things don’t go as planned—as was recently the case with “Bands On Stage.” Despite some performers having to drop out at the last minute, the audience enjoyed 90 minutes of a highly entertaining mix of music and didn’t let the performers leave the stage without a big round of applause and an encore.

As of February, the band club for grades 5 and 6 still had 11 students; after that, much to the delight of director Frank Wemme, the number grew to 18! The new members quickly found their place behind their own instruments or at the microphone. They kicked off the evening for the audience in the hall with Rihanna’s “Umbrella”—a fitting start for the day, as umbrellas had indeed had to be opened quite a few times outside that Monday. The group performed “Sorry” by ClockClock as their second song—another track that was familiar to the audience and clearly well-received.

Filling in for music teacher and choir director Daniel Sans is a challenge. Our colleague Anna Prokop handled this task exceptionally well when it came to directing the performance of the elective musical class for grades 8 and 9. Due to the absence of some participants, the program had to be scaled back from four performances to three. The songs, performed with great emotion—namely “Lovely” by Billie Eilish, “Traitor” by Olivia Rodrigo, and “Control” by Zoe Wees—were met with tremendous enthusiasm from the audience, received loud applause, and were captured on many a cell phone camera.

The rejuvenated JazzEnsemble, led by Frank Wemme, showcased plenty of rhythm. They performed Herbie Hancock’s “Chans’ Song” and Bobby Timmons’ “Moanin’.” Afterward, they wowed the audience with the classic “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll” by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts.

Frank Wemme not only hosted the evening but also led another musical highlight with the newly formed StoneMill House Band. Well-known songs such as “I Ain’t Worried” by One Republic, “House of Memories” by Panic! at the Disco, “Sunny” by Bobby Hebb, and “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars led up to the evening’s finale, and the audience thoroughly enjoyed the variety of the performance.

The following artists performed at Bands On Stage on March 27:

Band Club, Grades 5 & 6: Carla Isenberg, Matteo Dörbecker, Maya Böttcher, Helena Taschner (vocals), Lotta Funk (violin), Tim Henseling, Damir Vaslylenko, Justus Pöschl, Joshua Triml-Chifflard (glockenspiel), Vincent Pfaar, Anna-Lena Griesler, Justus Pöschl (guitar), Philian Merle, Helena Taschner, Emilia Ritter (piano), Lika Schnabel (bass), Leni Ochs, Noel Hopf (djembe), Antonia Mahnken, Lino Nordwald (drums).

WU Musical, Grades 8 & 9: Evelyn Hildermann, Annica Bartsch, Antonia Kurlinsky, Carlotta Meyer (vocals).

Jazz Ensemble: Juliane Spies (flute), Justus Mahnken (alto saxophone), Constantin Franz (guitar), Juliana Stry (euphonium), Janne Schweitzer (bass), Frank Wemme (piano).

Title: I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll: Juliana Stry (vocals), Constantin Franz (guitar), Jaron Häußermann (drums).

StoneMill House Band: Sophie Gurschi, Juliana Stry (vocals), Juliane Spies, Sascha Trofimov, Sonia Weber (flute), Justus Mahnken, Louisa Röder (alto saxophone), Lars Mitschke (trombone), Juliana Stry, Marit Winterstein (euphonium), Constantin Franz, Stella Gorr (guitar), Svea Turba (piano), Janne Schweitzer, Lika Schnabel (bass), Jaron Häußermann (drums).

WU Sound&Light, led by Matthäus Otte, was responsible for the technical aspects.

“We pooled all our resources—with discipline and, above all, with passion.” Over the course of two days, 160 participants from the fields of theater, visual arts, and music captivated the audience in the packed Forum. The results of Steinmühlen’s work in the arts were presented as a “revue” in a joint performance—a format that had never been done before.
Culture suffered particularly during the pandemic. Many rehearsals had to be canceled or took place under difficult conditions. Events with an audience were out of the question. Yet there were so many things shaping the students’ thoughts: the war in Ukraine, the climate activists’ protests, life at school, personal matters, and their own love lives. But where could these topics be heard?
Daniel Sans is the cultural coordinator at Steinmühle. “I see it as my job to bring all cultural areas together and, in doing so, create a platform for everyone.” An initiative was launched to offer the entire upper school a performance opportunity where everyone could showcase their talents.
Sans envisioned a loose sequence of acts, including drama, singing, music, acrobatics, and magic. “I sought out the leaders of these departments,” he recalls, “and they, in turn, engaged with the student body.” From this collaboration emerged topics that resonate with young people. The working title “Revue” was born.

Working in small groups, high school students brainstormed and compiled topics. They rehearsed plays, created many art pieces, developed a music quiz, and compiled songs that fit the overarching theme. That overarching theme—which was also the title of the event—was spot-on and couldn’t have been better: “The World and Me—Me and the World.”
In addition to the challenging rehearsals, the big rehearsal weekend with 160 participants, and the dedication required of everyone involved, practical help—such as designing posters and tickets—was also essential. Artistically designed by art teacher Heike Rabben-Martin, known as Rado, the tickets, when distributed at the school office, indicated that a larger audience was expected. The revue was to be free of charge; the process was simply intended to provide an overview of how many audience members to expect.

The result of all these efforts was art and entertainment at its very finest. Great acting talent came to the fore, and the performers connected brilliantly with the audience, who were soon captivated. The segments where the audience was invited to test their dancing skills were particularly lighthearted, and the way the show seamlessly shifted between serious topics and humorous segments was especially impressive. Kudos to the director!

Many teachers and a wide range of Steinmühlen equipment were involved in the preparation and presentation of the event. In order of appearance, the audience enjoyed Melisande Lauginiger’s DS class performance, “DS 13 Has More Than Meets the Eye”; solo artists Laura Salvati (violin) and Iliya Zand (piano); the “World Music Quiz” by Ulrike Wilmsmeyer’s 12th-grade music class, the performance by tenor Félix Müller—which was met with a standing ovation—Ines Vielhaben’s 11th-grade DS class with “Ich will mich sein wie Ihr,” and the upper-level choir conducted by Daniel Sans. Olaf Roth and the 11th-grade music class presented new material with the band “One World.” In the foyer, Ines Vielhaben and the Q1 advanced course displayed figures from the “All Welcome” cultural installation.

It goes without saying that the evening, with its rotating emcees, could not have taken place without the support of members of the school community, but it is still worth mentioning. Special mention goes to Frank Wemme, who is not only the head of the lower secondary school but also well-versed in music and organization, as well as Anna Prokop, a new permanent member of the faculty. Reliable technical support from “Sound & Light,” led by Matthäus Otte, along with assistance from the custodians, ensured the right conditions for everyone to enjoy the evening. “The fact that the school administration supported us and made time available was, of course, the foundation for everything,” Daniel Sans recalls.
“It’s an experiment,” the cultural affairs representative had said in the run-up to the performance, adding that if it was a success, they were considering doing it again. From the perspective of the enthusiastic audience, which demanded an encore, the decision has been made.

At the start of the summer concert at the Forum, only standing room was left—and even those spots were quickly filled. The event, with its many guests, was yet another example in the series of Steinmühle events of just how popular school events are—and how much the Steinmühle community had longed for them during the pandemic restrictions. As a precaution, many were still happy to wear a face mask!

The 6th-grade choir performed songs by Adel Tawil & Co., with Daniel Sans accompanying them on the piano. Jeannine Walter’s upcoming retirement was also mentioned, even though the official ceremony wasn’t scheduled to take place until three days later at the faculty’s summer party. The students had already performed a serenade with the fitting title “Happy Ending.”

The summer concert was hosted, as always, by Ulrike Wilmsmeyer. The 5th-grade wind ensemble, led by Andreas Jamin, showcased their skills. The upper-level choir, directed by Daniel Sans, impressed the audience with their fabulous vocal performances. Wind Ensemble Class 6 and the concert band, led by Stephan Reissig, demonstrated how one can improve even further by continuing to play a (wind) instrument beyond Class 5.

The many enthusiastic attendees were able to continue enjoying the evening on the Steinmühle grounds after the event had ended. As has been the custom in recent years, the school administration invited everyone to the boathouse to meet the Steinmühle rowing team over grilled food and cold drinks, learn about their latest activities, and marvel at the investments made by the rowing club and the school in the newly renovated boathouse.

During their musical performance at the Steinmühle Forum, the 5th-grade class took the entire audience on a trip around the world. As a “family,” the students won this grand prize in a contest by finding the correct combination of numbers on the cap of a soda bottle. And as everyone knows, those who travel have stories to tell!

The first stop took the vacationers to Paris, before they later boarded a ship heading north. They marveled at the Northern Lights and celebrated Midsummer—all set against stunning backdrops. The group also traveled to Israel, then to Liberia, and on to Rio. Each stop was marked by appropriate musical performances, accompanied on the keyboard by Frank Wemme and conducted by Daniel Sans.

In every respect, this event—led by Ulrike Wilmsmeyer—was a delight for the audience. The youngest students at Steinmühle High School had memorized their lines very well, presented their performances with obvious joy, and looked great on stage as well. The Steinmühle Friends Association, led by Jasmine Weidenbach, had sponsored a total of 72 colorful T-shirts featuring a world map—designed and painted by Ms. Niedziella and Ms. Gräser from the costume team. The Sound & Light team led by Matthäus Otte ensured that the sound ran smoothly throughout the event.

The tightly choreographed and flawlessly executed program was extremely well received by the large audience. Enthusiasm spread throughout the packed forum. The thunderous applause after the event showed just how much the extensive preparations by everyone involved were appreciated. Many of them probably thought on their way home: Please, more events like this!