Church members from Ueckermünde who once belonged to the local choir perform elsewhere for the initial time since their church disbanded.
The church choir of Ueckermünde-Liepgarten has temporarily disbanded due to the retirement of their longtime cantor in 2022, and as yet, no replacement has been found. The disbandment is currently under the supervision of the pastors, with Susanne and Stephan Leder organising concerts and covering organ playing in services.
Efforts to find a new cantor or cantors have been ongoing, including appeals within the community and church networks. These efforts have not yet resulted in a replacement, leading to the choir's current pause in activity.
The pastor expresses a desire to find a solution that would reunite the approximately 25 choir members and restore church music in Ueckermünde. The community does not have the means to support a full-time cantor, with the position being best suited for someone who wants to do something in addition to another job.
A 25-percent position for a church music position has been advertised, but as of now, no applications have been received. The absence of the choir has affected organ playing, concert preparations, and other church-related activities.
Anke Schulz, the Ueckermünde organist, left her position after 21 years. Since her departure, the church has had no cantor or cantors. With Anke Schulz's appointment as church musician, the church choir reformed, but her retirement marked the beginning of the choir's current hiatus.
Some choir members have joined church choirs in Torgelow or Pasewalk, while others have stopped singing altogether. The church has people who can step in for organ playing, but the absence of a choir leader has left a significant void.
The last break in the church choir occurred more than 20 years ago when the church music position was vacant. The choir participated in a concert in April, but since then, no musical children's projects have been possible due to the lack of a cantor.
The pastor remembers this previous break in the church choir coinciding with a vacant church music position. The community hopes that with continued efforts, a new cantor will be found to revive the choir and restore church music in Ueckermünde-Liepgarten.
With the church choir currently on a hiatus due to the retirement of their longtime cantor, the pastor has expressed a desire to find a new cantor who can not only contribute to the church's home-and-garden events but also enliven the entertainment and music scene within the community. Given the financial constraints, the ideal candidate would ideally have another job and view the cantor position as an additional pursuit.
