Funke-Eid der Kölsche Funke rut-wieß vun 1823 | Divertissementchen "Fastelovend zesamme!" Funkeneid

Funke-Eid
Lyrics: trad.
Music and arrangement: Thomas Guthoff

Jürgen Nimptsch (Bass)
Chorus: Chor der Bühnenspielgemeinschaft Cäcilia Wolkenburg im Kölner Männer-Gesang-Verein
Orchestra: Bergische Symphoniker
Band: Westwood Slickers
First performance January 21st, 2023
in Divertissementchen "Fastelovend zesamme!"
written & directed by Lajos Wenzel

Live at Oper Köln im Staatenhaus, 01/21/2023
Edited by Jan Faßbender (www.so-geht-youtube.de)
Camera: Laura Grocholl & Eileen Northing

Every year since 1874 the drama department "Cäcilia Wolkenburg" within the Cologne Male Voice Chorus stages the "Divertissementchen", a piece of musical theater that is equal parts satire of local politics and customs, historical play and plain fun. The cast (about 100 actors, singers and dancers) consists entirely of non-professionals. The language sung and spoken is the local Rhineland dialect of Cologne. More than 30.000 people watch the show that is played daily the month before Cologne Carnival at the Cologne Opera House.

This is a musical scene taken from "Fastelovend zesamme!" which takes place in 1823, the year of the first Cololgne Carnival Procession. A group of Cologne townspeople come together to form carnival society "Rote Funken".

The music that accompanies the lyrics (which consist of the traditional oath that every member of the Rote Funken takes upon joining) has been composed in 2023 by Thomas Guthoff for the Divertissementchen "Fastelovend zesamme!"

The song and leadsheet is available for download: www.funke-eid.divertissementchen.de