NY church honors Birkenau Women's Orchestra
The Birkenau orchestra existed for 18 months during the Holocaust; over 50 women and three different conductors made up its membership.
St. John the Divine, North America's largest Anglican cathedral, will host "Music in Desperate Times: Remembering the Women's Orchestra of Birkenau," performed by Ars Choralis on March 28. The show is based on memoirs and histories of how music saved the lives of a few dozen women in a concentration camp.
The Birkenau orchestra existed for 18 months during the Holocaust; over 50 women and three different conductors made up its membership. It was directed by Alma Rosé, who is credited with perfecting the musicians. All but one of the orchestra's members survived the camp.