Johann Christian Reinhart Secondary School (JCRG) is a “Gymnasium”-type secondary school focusing on science, technology and languages in the Upper Franconian town of Hof. The school has three choirs, a guitar circle, an orchestra, a big band and a band, which perform two big concerts per year, one each in winter and in summer. They also add musically to many smaller school events.

Never before have we had so many students who wanted to actively participate in our musical ensembles. However, this pleasing development also came with logistical challenges: The space in the church’s chancel, which we had previously used for our Christmas concert no longer offered sufficient space to accommodate the many participants.

As a school family, we have been dreaming of our own stage for a long time, and the Hans Thomann Foundation supported us in taking our first steps in this direction by generously donating modular stage elements. These stage elements allowed us to construct a flexible and stable stage that not only provided space for all participants but also gave the concert guests an excellent view of the performances.

No sooner had the new stage elements arrived on pallets in our auditorium than were unpacked and tested by enthusiastic 11th-graders. Two days later, we set up the stage in the church and were pleasantly surprised, especially by the low weight and the uncomplicated assembly. Everything was set for the Christmas concert!

One moment that was particularly moving was the joint performance of all ensembles at the end of the concert (see photo). More than 300 students stood together on the new stage and filled the room with music.

On behalf of the entire school community, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Thomann Foundation. Your support has made an important contribution to the promotion of cultural education at our school. Thanks to your donation, we have been able to get one step closer to our vision of our own stage. We look forward to using the new stage elements in the future – be it at theatre performances, summer festivals or other events!

Emelie Walther, Music Faculty, JCRG