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| Ensemble SHOSHAN Waltraud Rennebaum - lead vocals, frame drum & tambourine, moderation Raimund Rennebaum - piano, keyboards, backing vocals Heike Zehe - flute, alto flute, backing vocals |
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| Maalot-CD-notes Yerushalayim-CD-notes discography audio samples CD reviews concert reviews contact  Shoshan-Info.pdf |
The Ensemble Shoshan was founded in 1994 by Waltraud and Raimund Rennebaum. By a large number of concerts, radio broadcasts and by several CD records, the group became quite popular in Germany and Switzerland. In live performances, the artists play as trio or duo (without flute). The Jewish-oriental colouring of style, language and rhythm has been a characteristic feature of the Shoshan sound from the very beginning. For 15 years now, the three professional musicians have devoted themselves to revive the thousands of years old psalms of the Bible by musical means on a high artistic level. With devotion and imagination, Waltraud and Raimund Rennebaum created a stirring and pleasing repertoire of songs attracting a large audience of lovers of sophisticated sacred music. What is so special about it is the interpretation of the psalms in the original Hebrew by a music full of feeling and emotion. The artists have found an excellent way to vitalize the ancient world of the biblical inspired song lyrics. They succeed in breaching the gap between the Orient and the Occident and in fascinating both Christians and Jews by their musical variety. Most of these songs were written by Waltraud Rennebaum and her husband, some others by Jewish composers from all over the world, all of them skilfully arranged by Raimund Rennebaum. The musicians do not only offer an enjoyment of art. It is at the same time an invitation to listen to the message of the Bible and to get into touch with the love of God, which is granted for all mankind without regard to nationality and race. The melodious ensemble name "Shoshan" comes from the Hebrew language and means "lily". Just as the lily is giving off its lovely scent, the ensemble intends to use its music for spreading the pleasant perfume of reconciliation. A Shoshan concert opens the listener's eyes and ears to the fact, that the Christian civilization received its spiritual roots from the Hebrew-Jewish culture of Old Testament Israel. So the group is giving interesting and vitalizing impulses through its songs. |
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| The musicians | ||
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Waltraud Rennebaum studied French horn at the music academies of Cologne, Detmold and Dusseldorf – her aim was to become an orchestra musician – before she dedicated herself to the career as vocalist. Her interpretation of biblical psalms is authentic and genuinely tender, deeply touching the listener. Her pleasant warm and versatile voice sounds a bit exotic especially in the Hebrew songs. Because of her spiritual sensibility, her charming charisma and most of all her beautiful singing, she is on stage the focus of attention in this ensemble. Through her lively moderation, the audience learns much about the background of Jewish tradition and the biblical feasts. She is able to lead the listeners into a foreign and partly oriental world of sounds. By using various handdrums she adds to many of the songs that typical Israeli touch. Waltraud has written about 80 songs with Hebrew and German lyrics making up an important part of the Shoshan concert repertoire. Together with her husband Raimund she recorded and produced six CD albums, four of them for adults and two for children. By setting to music psalms 120 through 134, the cycle of the biblical ascension or pilgrimage songs, she created a completely new concert programme called "MA'ALOT". It was first performed in October 2006. |
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Raimund Rennebaum studied piano and composition in Cologne and Dusseldorf. He loves classical music as much as jazz. His favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach. As pianist and composer, Raimund led a jazz-rock formation which attracted attention through their participation in international Jazz festivals and also by winning a musical award of the City of Dusseldorf. He wrote compositions and arrangements for Radio- and TV-Stations and was a very sought after pianist and keyboard-player in the German theatrical music scene. Since 1994 he uses his great talent together with his wife Waltraud for working with the Ensemble Shoshan. When writing arrangements he manages to give any song an unmistakable and original character. His rich pool of ideas, his excellent taste and the amazing versatility in musical styles are the backbone of the typical Shoshan sound. Fascinating are the changes between the warm and mellow timbres on his keyboard and his brilliant pianoplaying which is of a high classical standard. Occasionally this will be broken up with jazzy improvisations. An established part in most concerts is a piece for piano solo. |
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 –> in concert ... |
Heike Zehe concluded her studies of the flute at the music academies of Essen and Wuppertal with the highest musician’s degree in Germany, the so-called "concert examination". She leaves a deep impression because of her outstanding technique and her balanced and exceptionally beautiful tone. Heike's play of the flute and alto flute skilfully changes between classical and folkloristic elements of music. Her melodic lines quite often create a counterpoint to the singing of Waltraud, or they richly ornament or play round it. In the music of Shoshan the vocal parts alternate with instrumental passages, in which the flute is often leading the melodic part. One time Heike steps into the foreground with calm and lyric bows, next time her playing blends with the piano in swift unisono passages. Even in the deep pitches her rounded sonorous tone gives especially those Jewish songs that typical oriental charm. Besides Shoshan, Heike concentrates on chamber music with various ensembles and orchestras. |
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| Repertoire and concert ideas | ||
 The latest CD "Ma'alot" The Songs of Ascents Psalms 120 – 134 sung in Hebrew |
The current repertoire correspondents with the music from the latest CD "Ma'alot" which was recorded in 2006 and released in June 2007 by the German label Haenssler CLASSIC. It encloses the psalms 120 through 134, the so-called songs of steps or songs of pilgrimage, sung in Hebrew. In addition to the musical performing of the psalms Waltraud Rennebaum explains during a concert the meaning and the context of all 15 songs. Occasionally the audience is incorporated into the performance by singing easy parts of the songs and by clapping simple rhythm patterns. If requested by the organizer, the group will complement the biblical repertoire by beautiful traditional Israeli songs and by a piece of classical music for piano and flute, or a piano solo. The appropriate setting for a Shoshan concert The Ensemble performs festive evening concerts in churches and synagogues as well as musical church services. Also commemorations, Bible exhibitions and conferences can get a special musical accent by a Shoshan concert. Because of the Hebrew colouring in style and language, the music is very suitable for literary recitals and exhibitions of Jewish and Christian artists. The duration and intention of the programme is usually arranged with the organizer. The Ensemble Shoshan performs live as trio. Alternatively, it is possible to engage Shoshan as duo (Waltraud & Raimund Rennebaum), what is without flute. Festive or historical occasions for a Shoshan concert in the course of the year 2010 INTERNATIONAL DAY of COMMEMORATION in Memory of the Victims of the HOLOCAUST (Jan. 27) PURIM (March 20 - 21) PESSACH (Passover, April 18 - 25) • GOOD FRIDAY • EASTER (April 22 - 24) YOM HA SHOA (Holocaust Memorial Day in Israel, May 2) YOM YERUSHALAYIM (Jerusalem Day - United Jerusalem, June 1) SHAVUOT (June 7 - 8) • PENTECOST (June 12) ISRAEL SUNDAY of the Cristian Churches (August 28) ROSH HA SHANAH (Jewish New Year, Sept. 29) YOM KIPPUR (Day of Atonement, Oct. 8) SUKKOT (Feast of Tabernacles, Oct. 13 - 19) SIMCHAT TORAH (Joyful celebration of the Torah, Oct. 21) ADVENT at the Weekends late November and in December CHANUKAH (Feast of Dedication, December 21 - 28) |
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| Music style | ||
| The musical means of the Ensemble Shoshan are as varied as the Jewish music itself. During 14 years the group developed its unique personal style, which can not be sorted into one of those stereotyped categories. Typically Jewish melancholy and elements of Middle Eastern music alternate with vivacious rhythms as you can find them in Klezmer and Israeli folk music. Piano and flute skilfully complement these accents by European classical music and a relaxing pinch of Jazz. Shoshan's trademark is the characteristic voice of Waltraud Rennebaum, which is flexibly moving through varying musical styles and is transmitting some exotic charm by the Hebrew language. The musicians succeed to fuse different cultural ways of expression into a unified whole. As a result, very original settings of the psalms develop, which are always reflecting the message and the mood of the selected Bible text. |
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| translated by R.R. and Frank Werthmuller |
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