It all started 50 years ago with a group of musical farmers. The anniversary fell victim to Corona. A look at the history of the “Schrolla musicians”.
Photo: Schrolla musicians
The invitation cards were already printed, but the Schrolla musicians could no longer celebrate the big Franconian evening for their 50th anniversary in May due to the corona. They wanted to look back on half a century in which they helped Franconian folk music in the district and beyond to come into play again.
Hermann Pfister regrets that the eight hobby musicians have not been able to play together since their last rehearsal in early March. “Something is missing,” says the Schnackenwerther. He has only been playing the tuba in the group for 30 years and is one of the farmers from which the Schrolla musicians initially consisted exclusively.
Leisure brass players from different chapels got together
“It was during the winter course at the Münsterschwarzach State Folk High School,” says Anton Bhm, a farmer and trumpeter from Vasbhl. The now 71-year-old got to know other brass players from various bands in 1969/70: trumpeter Gerhard Schuster from Unterspiesheim, tenor horn players Edelbert Hart from Waigolshausen, Alois Csar from Rieden and Norbert Weidner from Theilheim, and tuba player Theo Mikus from Alitzheim.
The six contributed the music to the visit of the country’s father Alfons Goppel. They received their first Franconian sheet music from school principal Heinrich Schmalz.
Several stag and weddings appearances later, the young men decided to continue their mutual enjoyment of folk music. Bhm, the driving force of the group, contacted the newly founded “Arbeitsgemeinschaft Frnkische Volksmusik”, whose director Ludwig Moritz collected old songs. “It was difficult to find notes, there was hardly anything printed”. Many Franconian pieces were specially arranged or rewritten for the brass section.
Photo: Schrolla musicians
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A special name for the “small tin” was needed. The name was born because all of the farmers were farmers and “we all had Schrolla”, as Bhm explains the vernacular expression for arable. The old Werntal costume was tailored as common clothing.
In order to be able to play at Franconian evenings, the musicians first completed a corresponding dance course themselves. Scottish, Rheinlnder or gallop were on the plan. The music rehearsals took place in turn with each player. “Of course there was also shop talk,” recalls Hermann Pfister of conversations about agriculture and livestock farming. “And afterwards there was always a snack”.
If the human harmony is right, then it also works with the music
“We got on well privately right from the start,” says Anton Bhm, looking back. “This is very important, otherwise it won’t work”. This remained the case when the line-up changed and the pure sheet metal body was expanded by two clarinets to eight musicians.
The Schrolla musicians were soon in demand at singers ‘and musicians’ meetings, at Mariensingen, Franconian dance evenings, the Franconian Christmas in Schweinfurt’s town hall hall and countless other events. Even the “Waigolshuser Siebensprung”, an ancient fertility dance, was brought back to life musically in 1982.
She was on the international stage in 1981 with the Mainfrankenkreis Wrzburg: appearances in Italy, Monaco, France and Switzerland. The newly founded German-French partnership between Lower Franconia and Calvados also framed the Schrolla musicians in Caen in 1986.
Her music game is always demanding: “You have to perform well,” says Anton Bhm. Because each voice is simply cast, this means that you have to keep playing the whole evening.
The quality of their music is recognized nationwide. Most recently, Bayerischer Rundfunk recorded several Franconian titles by the Schrolla musicians at the end of 2019 and broadcast them with a group portrait in February.
The music game is exhausting, says Anton Bhm, who retires as a trumpeter and conductor, but continues to act as an organizer. Musician Peter Heeg from Grethal now enriches the group.
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Vasbhl
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Silvia Eidel
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Alfons Goppel
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Anton Bhm
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Bavarian radio
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Conductors
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Invitation cards
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Heinrich
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Musician
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tuba
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Folk musician
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