Faith Matters - The Church Program

The Protestant Reformation is one of the great crossroads in the history of western culture. Its impact on modern society is evident even today. The 500th anniversary of this historic event will be celebrated worldwide in 2017. Protestants view 31 October 1517, the day on which Martin Luther is believed to have nailed his 95 Theses to the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, as the official start of the Reformation.

Martin Luther’s dramatic story is the theme of an exuberant new pop oratorio by composer Dieter Falk and lyricist Michel Kunze. The show features fifteen soloists, an orchestra, a pop band and an enormous choir of more than 2,000 singers.

Our reporter, Holm Weber, attended the rehearsals for this mega-musical. He followed the composer, the lyricist and individual members of the choir as they prepared for the show. Then on Reformation Day, 31 October 2015, he witnessed the world premiere in the western German city of Dortmund.