In a special concert evening, two outstanding works of sacred vocal music will meet: Johann Sebastian Bach's Motet Jesu, meine Freude impresses with its artful structure, the close connection between chorale and biblical text as well as its rich expressive content. Heinrich Schütz's Musical Exequies, written in the midst of the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War, combine personal farewell culture with liturgical form and show a deep examination of death and consolation. Both compositions reflect in their own way the baroque idea of music as a means of edification and inner movement. A concert that offers space for concentration, resonance and musical discoveries.

With the Ensemble le phénix and soloists from the choir, conducted by Thomas Gropper

After the official ceremonial reopening of the city archive, the building will be open to the public for viewing from 13 to 16 May.

After more than 500 years, the city archive and its holdings have left the Chur town hall. In the new "Mehrwerk" building on the Hofgraben, a modern archive has been created that is appropriate to the rich history of the "oldest city in Switzerland". This is a special opportunity for all history buffs. In a series of guided tours, the audience gets a rare insight into all the archive rooms. The guided tours are free of charge, but registration is mandatory (stadtarchiv@chur.ch or 081 254 41 32). The meeting point is the entrance to the Chur City Archives, Hofgraben 3. Each tour lasts about 30-45 minutes and is conducted in German.

On the occasion of the reopening, the city archive is organizing a book launch in the new city archive on Hofgraben.

A special book now makes a unique source on the history of Graubünden accessible to all interested parties. In Chur, a father and two sons of the Terz family wrote a chronicle from 1727 to 1811. Reading her entries leads us into the world of the 18th and early 19th centuries, which is foreign to us today, with its very own values, ideals and ideas. The Terz Chronicle offers an insight into the mentality of the guild bourgeoisie, on whose history today's urbanity in Switzerland is based.

The important family book has an eventful past. After the authors died without descendants, excerpts from the manuscript appeared in public in 1880. Just twenty years later, the chronicle was considered lost and remained so for more than a century. In 2017, the city archive was able to acquire this cultural treasure and secure it for the public.

The historian and former city archivist Ulf Wendler and the genealogist Markus Köhl have edited the manuscript and provided it with explanations. They present the Terz Chronicle and provide insights into life in Chur 200 to 300 years ago.

The event will take place on May 15 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in the Chur City Archives, Hofgraben 3. Admission is free, but due to the limited number of seats, registration is mandatory (stadtarchiv@chur.ch or 081 254 41 32). The publication is available in bookstores for 85 francs and can also be purchased on site on the day of the opening.

After the death of his mother, the narrator finds an album in a drawer with photos of his early childhood, which he spent on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago. As a young woman, the daughter of "pillar workers" from Aargau had thrown herself into an adventure with a good-for-nothing of the West Indian upper class and had a child. While the rest of the family tries to erase the memory of his mother's years with the "savages", the narrator sets out to save this story, which is also his own.
Tobacco and chocolate leads to the tropical jungle of a British crown colony of the fifties and sixties. By penetrating further and further to his Indian ancestors, who were shipped to the Caribbean as contract workers, the narrator uncovers not only a family tree, but also a piece of colonial history. This is contrasted with the memory of growing up in the "tobacco house" of her grandparents in Aargau and the rapprochement with a mother who always seemed unapproachable during her lifetime.

"An autobiographical novel of a different kind: from a journey from his mother's Aargau to his paternal Indian ancestors in Trinidad, Dean brings back, in sparkling prose, a richer self than most people find in their own inwardness."
Andreas Isenschmid

Reading: Martin R. Dean
Moderation: Esther Schneider

Contributors:
I Quattro

Guardian of the Blues - European Tour 2025

Embark on a soulful journey with the "master guitarist and guardian of the blues", Josh Smith. From his wondrous beginnings to sharing the stage with legends like Joe Bonamassa, Smith's electrifying blend of blues, rock and jazz will leave you spellbound. It will leave you spellbound. Don't miss the chance to experience this musical phenomenon as he brings his deep emotional expression and technical brilliance to European audiences.

Lineup:
Josh Smith - guitar, vocals
Trevis Carlton - bass
Gene Lake - drums


Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.

Polenta7000 – the summer bar with stage on the polenta hill behind the Mediamarkt. Every Thursday & Friday from 5 p.m., Saturday from 3 p.m., weather permitting. With ping-pong, drinks, kiosk, food, concerts. Spontaneous information can always be found on the website.

It is 2004. You have a Nokia 3310, cola-flavored lip gloss and your crush runs by while "yes!" from Usher plays in the background. Exactly that – simply with a better drink in your hand. Our Y2K DJ serves hits, guilty pleasures and forgotten gems of the noughties. Britney, Missy, Outkast – it's all there. Pull your jeans low and your sunglasses big: Friday will be flashback.

Polenta7000 – the summer bar with stage on the polenta hill behind the Mediamarkt. Every Thursday & Friday from 5 p.m., Saturday from 3 p.m., weather permitting. With ping-pong, drinks, kiosk, food, concerts. Spontaneous information can always be found on the website.

A day for children – and for all those who have stayed. Small stations, big eyes: clowns whirl across the square, the Ballonmaa conjures up wild figures in the air, tigers, fairies and glitter monsters are created during face painting. In addition, games, fun and lots of space to marvel, laugh and do nonsense. Clear the ring for the imagination!

Polenta7000 – the summer bar with stage on the polenta hill behind the Mediamarkt. Every Thursday & Friday from 5 p.m., Saturday from 3 p.m., weather permitting. With ping-pong, drinks, kiosk, food, concerts. Spontaneous information can always be found on the website.

The name is still under lock and key – but May 10 is worth a big X in the calendar. We'll tell you soon who is playing. What is certain is that it will be loud, it will be beautiful, it will be an evening for open hearts and cold glasses. Clear the stage for the unknown.

Polenta7000 – the summer bar with stage on the polenta hill behind the Mediamarkt. Every Thursday & Friday from 5 p.m., Saturday from 3 p.m., weather permitting. With ping-pong, drinks, kiosk, food, concerts. Spontaneous information can always be found on the website.

The name is still under lock and key – but May 10 is worth a big X in the calendar. We'll tell you soon who is playing. What is certain is that it will be loud, it will be beautiful, it will be an evening for open hearts and cold glasses. Clear the stage for the unknown.