FAQs

Question: What does “Calmus” mean?

Answer: We just put together the initials of all the founding members, with the “C” added for the sake of a melodious sound. But here are some meanings of the word we came across since:

• The marsh plant Calmus or Kalmus. Its roots – if prepared accordingly – have a calming and muscle-relaxing but also envigorating and appetizing effect.
• The middle of the English expression “vocal music”.
• Calmus is a (very) small village in Luxembourg.
• As well as the plant there also are various alcoholic drinks named Calmus or Kalmus.
• A software for composing: “Calculated music”.
• A company called Ubbink offers a series of prefabricated ponds called Calmus.
  

Question: Since when does Calmus exist?

Answer: The group calls itself Calmus since 1999. Today’s cast ( a quintet consisting of a soprano and four gentlemen) performs since the middle of 2004, whereas the roots (under a different name) go back to 1996. See “History” for more details.

Question: What do the Calmus singers do for a living?

Answer: Calmus.

Question: Have all the singers been members of the Thomanerchor?

Answer: No. The group has its roots there, but today there are only two former members of the Thomanerchor left: Ludwig and Sebastian.

Question: What does Calmus do if one of the members is taken ill at the time of a concert?

Answer: There are various possibilities. Either the illness is not that bad, then the concert will be sung as planned; or Calmus performs with a party of four only and a slightly altered  substitutional programme; or the worst case: the concert has to be cancelled. But Calmus is resilient: that last case occurred in 2005 for the last time to date ...

Question: How often does Calmus rehearse?

Answer: Usually about three to four times a week. Sometimes less (there are holidays), but often more.

Question: How many concerts does Calmus sing annually?

Answer: About 70-80 at the moment.

Question: Who is the leader of the group?

Answer: Nobody; Calmus is a strictly democratic organisation. Which occasionally leads to long discussions and slower rehearsals, but to more satisfaction among the singers.

Question: Do all the singers live in Leipzig?

Answer: Yes. Everything else would be very hard to organize, and also quite expensive, considering today’s prices of fuel and train tickets...