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During the turn of the year 1978/79 when there was the snow-catastrophe of the century in Schleswig-Holstein
(North Germany) the weather conditions were responsible for not moving far away from their own
homes. This was the reason for the neighbours to come together for talking, chit-chatting and drinking the famous punch called
"Pharisäer" (coffee and rum). During one of these chatter-meetings, so called "Klönschnacks", the chairman of
the "Friesen-Club" Heinrich Erichsen and the foreman of the life-saving boat Jacob Jebsen had the idea to found a
Shanty chorus (men singing old sailor songs).
Jacob Jebsen, the first leader of the chorus, made the first scene with 7 singers including the former machinist of
the life-saving boat "Hindenburg" (to view now in the ship museum of Kiel) and Ewald
Wilckerling, the present owner of our club inn. There were so much approval from all sides that the Shanty-Chorus "De Fideelen
Nordstrander" ("The Jolly people of Nordstrand") did develop systematically and successfully until today and did
achieve great success with numerous scenes in whole Germany and in the
USA.
Since 1980 Clemens Empen leads this chorus as chairman and president very cautiously and
responsibly. The artistic direction lay for a long time in the hands of Peter
Kallweit. Because of professional reasons he had to move in 1995 to the USA and Paul-Oskar Büttner took
over. Since 1996 Rolf Appelles bears the musical responsibility.
The repertoire of the Shanty-Chorus "De Fideelen Nordstrander" is very extensive. In most cases of
course, the chorus is singing sailor songs and shanties. But also well-known and less-known folk-songs and humorous songs
belong to the manifold repertoire.
On the second CD, produced in May 1998, the chorus made for the first time a recording which is older than 140
years and only verbally handed down. In the archives of the catholic church of Nordstrand it can be found out that
until 1864 the duchy "Schleswig" and therefore also Nordstrand did belong to
Denmark. The last danish Hardesvogt (overseer/governor) Ernst Johann Albrecht von Bertouch (1856-1864) has written the song "Sei mir
Nordstrand gegrüßt" ("Greetings to Nordstrand"). This is also the title of the second CD.
A further very fastidious CD with the title "Von Binnenland und Waterkant"
("From Inland and Waterland") is now in preparation and will be introduced in spring 2000 in Berlin.
The Shanty-Chorus "De Fideelen Nordstrander" has a special relationship to Berlin. Already before the
wall-break we had intensive connections to the Marinekameradschaft (Navy
Companionship) of Berlin. Regular visits took place. On the day of the first free election in the former DDR (East Germany), 18. March 1990, the
Shanty-Chorus visited Berlin. Spontaneously and not planned we made scenes on both sides of the "Brandenburger
Tor". At that time the wall was still there but penetrable and as the first chorus after more than 50 years we sang at
this historically important place the Brandenburg-Song "Steige hoch du roter Adler"
("Fly high you red eagle"). All the people watching our scene in this situation and at this place were highly touched by this
song.
The Shanty-Chorus "De Fideelen Nordstrander" identifies himself with Nordstrand
(the half island on the westcoast of Schleswig-Holstein close to the town of Husum) and Nordfriesland (a region of the west
coast). With our singing we like to contribute to the keeping and care of the culture and to the joy of many people.
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