Holger Saarmann:  Phantomzeit

Tribute-Sampler: Nur meine Lieder – Weggefährten und Liedgenossen singen Christof Stählin

Holger Saarmann:  Selber leuchten

Frank Viehweg & Holger Saarmann: 
Herbsteskommen - based on poems by Louis Fürnberg

Holger Saarmann:  Gestern ist auch noch ein Tag

Profolk Sampler

Auf's Maul geschaut –
Regionalsprachen und Dialekte im deutschen Folk

Tracks:

1. Früh bann dr Morche grauit   HÜSCH!
2. SpuimaNovas   HIRSCÖH
3. Man tufaalsflenerk   KALÜÜN
4. Der Guckguu   HOLGER SAARMANN & VIVIEN ZELLER
5. Dat du min Leevsten büst   HERZGESPANN

6. Bimbel, Bimbel, Bähnele   MARTIN SCHÜTT
7. Shpil she mir a lidele in jiddisch   ZIGANIMO
8. Daaling, maat, do drank ik een & Pearly Dance   KALÜÜN
9. Geschder waar der Michel do   HOLGER SAARMANN & VIVIEN ZELLER

10. Koom ik weerum   EM HUISKEN
11. Över de stillen Straaten   HERZGESPANN
12. Ënn ëmm klænen Dòrf   WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS?
13. Waard Ruuch   KAY KANKOWSKI
14. Es wår zur Frühjårschzeit   HÜSCH!
15. Hans bleib da!   STEFAN STRAUBINGER
16. Endlik Weer   SPILLWARK

Price: 15 Euro + shipping *

* Shipping costs within Germany are waived for orders with a value of EUR 30 or more.
The shipping costs to foreign countries are only waived for orders over EUR 45.
(>> Conditions of sale)

Also available via mail order at "Bluebird Shop Berlin".


This sampler, compiled by the German folk association Profolk e.V., assembles songs in German (and related) dialects and regional idioms, with no claim for completeness:
Friesisch, Niederdeutsch, Plattdeutsch, Hunsrücker Moselfränkisch, Niederalemannisch, Bayrisch, Thüringisch, Jiddisch und Pennsylvania Dutch are represented, mostly with two songs, often performed by the same act.
The compilation is enjoyable to listen, though I personally find its concept a little callow: The selection of idioms was probably due to the music that was at hand anyway. But I admit that's quite impressive. And as I heard they are already thinking of compiling a sequel.

Sadly, the booklet – after a competent introduction by Ralf Gehler – mainly consists of artists' self-portrayals, which, in their egocentricity, would have required an editorial revision in terms of the CD topic.
Und die (vom Platz her unnötige) Abkürzung unserer Namen auf dem Inlay (CD-Rücken) ist wohl immer noch der Falsschreibung des Namens Vivien (mit E!) im Booklet vorzuziehen.

Holger Saarmann

SAGO singt Stählin

Die Versammlung der Inseln

Tracks:

1. Der Clown   JAN GAENSSLEN 
2. Der Kirschbaum   DANNY DZIUK 
3. Lieben heißt Liebe Entbehren   HOLGER SAARMANN 
4. Die kleine heile Welt   ANNETT KUHR 
5. Frühlingslied   MATTHIAS BINNER, STEPHAN BIENWALD, MAREN KROYMANN, 

BÉRANGÈRE PALIX & HOLGER SAARMANN

6. Manchmal wenn   TINA HÄUSSERMANN 
7. Herbstspaziergang   SEBASTIAN KRÄMER
8. Lob der Kuh   MAKA KANDELAKI
9. Mein Freund und Schlawiner   PHILIPP SCHMIDT-RHAESA

10. Der Trampelpfad   TIMO BRUNKE
11. Die Bahnen (... und zieht seine Bahn)   ARNO RITTGEN
12. Der Kapitän   JÖRG SIEPER
13. Komm, küss mich   ULI ZEHFUSS
14. Die Voraussetzungen   MATTHIAS REUTER
15. Was ist uns von Preußen geblieben   MARKUS HEINIGER 
16. Was hätt ich denn davon   MARTIN SOMMER
17. Das Tiefe   UTA KÖBERNICK, ANNETT KUHR, SEBASTIAN KRÄMER & TIMO BRUNKE 
18. Schlaflied (Alles hat seine Weile)   DOTA KEHR

This Christof Stählin Tribute CD originally was a present of his students on the occasion of his 70th birthday, in summer 2012.
The master himself made this song selection.
Date of issue: February the 17, 2013 on "Text & Ton Records"

The CD was encouraged and supported by Kultursommer Rheinland-Pfalz.
It should be available in record stores throughout the EC, but will also be presented for sale by almost any featured artist.

Right: a full length audio sample of "Das Tiefe" on YouTube;

For further (short) audio samples, go to >> jpc.de

Price: 15 Euro + shipping *

* Shipping costs within Germany are waived for orders with a value of EUR 30 or more.
The shipping costs to foreign countries are only waived for orders over EUR 45.
(>> Conditions of sale)

Holger Saarmann:  So küsste mich meine Friseuse

Tracks:

1. Bahnsteig gegenüber   (Saarmann)

2. Liebe neu erfunden   (Saarmann)

3. Fi-di-bum   (Saarmann)

4. Treppen   (Saarmann)

5. Der Gast   (Saarmann)

6. Meine Friseuse   (Saarmann)
7. Ode ans Diesseits '09   (Holger Saarmann)

8. Briefballade   (Saarmann)

9. Gleisbesetzer   (amerik. Trad/ dt. Text Saarmann)

10. Begleiter   (Saarmann)
11. Stiller Schlager   (Saarmann)

Bonus (solo):
12. Bahnsteig gegenüber   (Saarmann)

13. Briefballade   (Saarmann)

"So küsste mich meine Friseuse" – (mostly) full length audio samples

Finally, here is the first Saarmann album exclusively with Saarmann songs!
All the hits from the past years in colourful (re-)recordings, performed together with highly requested musicians, plus two solo bonus tracks for the purists.
Appr. 60 minutes running time.
These were involved to create the rich sound:

Reinhild Kuhn (accordion & piano), Budi (percussion & bass), Jan Gaensslen (piano) and Vivien Zeller (violin).

The record was recorded and mixed at Freeborn Sound Studio and mastered at Noemptyfeeling. 
It's issued on the Bluebird Café Records Berlin label.

16 pages booklet, including lots of colour pictures and all lyrics. Click here to download the English translations.
CD & Booklet in a ProfilePac (= a cardboard double cover, avoiding plastic)


Price: 15 Euro + shipping *

* Shipping costs within Germany are waived for orders with a value of EUR 30 or more.
The shipping costs to foreign countries are only waived for orders over EUR 45.
(>> Conditions of sale)

This CD is also available via mail order at "Bluebird Shop Berlin".

Holger Saarmann & Vivien Zeller

Lieder, so deutsch wie der Wilde Westen

Tracks:

1. Auswanderlied   (Pennsylvania Dutch Trad.)

2. Wu ich in des Land bin kumme   (Pennsylvania Dutch Trad.)

3. Unser deitsche Brieder   (Pennsylvania Dutch Trad.)

4. Der Guckguu   (Pennsylvania Dutch Trad.)

5. Sie gleicht der Schwalbe (She's like the Swallow)   (Trad./ German lyrics: Saarmann)

6. Vergiss mich nicht   (Karl May)

7. Ballade des armen Webersohnes Karl May   (Trad./ German lyrics: Saarmann)

8. 900 Miles   (Trad.)

9. Follow the Drinking Gourd   (Trad.)

10. Stan' still Jordan   (Trad.)

11. Wo sind unser Brieder   (Pennsylvania Dutch Spiritual)

12. Geschder war der Michel do   (Pennsylvania Dutch Trad.)

13. Ei, du Zustand! (Oh! Susanna)   (Stephen Foster/ Pennsylvania Dutch Trad.)

14. Katy Cruel   (Trad.)

15. Oi Oi Oi   (Pennsylvania Dutch Trad.)

16. Ave Maria   (Karl May)

17. Heim zu gej   (Pennsylvania Dutch Spiritual)

18. Wanderlied (Wayfaring Stranger)   (Trad./ German lyrics: Saarmann)

Bonus (solo):
19. Vergiss mich nicht (Version 2)   (Karl May)

"Lieder, so deutsch wie der Wilde Westen" – (mostly) full length audio samples
(The presentation was added for radio play at lastFM  and is not included on CD.)

Many attempts have been made to create German country music.

This album documents our research on the original: German songs from America in ancient times, when banjo and fiddle were still being played to the rhythm of steam trains and boats.
We scout out the legendary New World in facts and fantasy, showing how America was germanized, long before Germany was americanized.

We discovered German spirituals, farmers' and children songs, with lyrics both earthy and cunning.
While we translated some of the English lyrics by ourselves, others remained English.
The result is a colourful album, full of contrasts and surprises, showing "How the West was Dutched".

The CD version of our programme "Winnetou ist ein Christ ..." was (co-)mixed by Phil Freeborn at Freeborn Sound Studio (former nuphobia Berlin) and issued on the Label Bluebird Café Records Berlin. The 16-pages booklet includes all lyrics and a comment for each song.

An English booklet translation can be downloaded here (pdf file).

All arrangements: Holger Saarmann (vocals, guitar, accordion, percussion) & Vivien Zeller (fiddle, vocals)

Price: 15 Euro + shipping *

* Shipping costs within Germany are waived for orders with a value of EUR 30 or more.
The shipping costs to foreign countries are only waived for orders over EUR 45.
(>> Conditions of sale)

This CD is also available via mail order at "Bluebird Shop Berlin" and at the "Karl-May-Verlag Bamberg" (>Fanshop >Musik).

Holger Saarmann  "Hüt dich, schöns Blümelein!"

My CD debut, recorded in winter 2000/ 01.

Vocals, guitar & all arrangements: Holger Saarmann

Tracks:

1.  Lied vom Brombeerenpflücken  (Trad.)

2.  Flogen einst drei wilde Tauben   (Trad.)

3.  Wenn ich ein Vöglein wär   (Trad.)

4.  Nachtigall ich hör dich singen   (Trad.)

5.  Hinaufschauen   (Holger Saarmann)

6.  Wie schön blüht uns der Maien   (Trad.)

7.  Feinsliebchen, du sollst mir nicht barfuß gehn   (Trad.)

8.  Ukrainisches Abschiedslied   (Trad.)

9.  So grün als ist die Heiden   (Trad.)

10.  Reiterlied   (Justus W. Lyra/ Georg Herwegh)

11.  Graf und Magd   (Trad.)

12.  Zufriedenheit   (Georg Neumark/ Trad.)

13.  Ach Blümlein blau   (Trad.)

14.  Schnitter Tod   (Trad.)

15.  Zecherbündnis   (Trad./ G. E. Lessing)

16.  Lied für die Pariser Kommune   (Trad.)

17.  Es ist ein Schnee gefallen   (Trad.)

18.  Mädchen am Haff   (Trad.)

19.  Ich weiß mir ein Maidlein hübsch und fein   (Trad.)

20.  Herbstlied   (Trad./ August Mahlmann)

21.  Abendlied  (Der Mond ist aufgegangen)   (J.A.P. Schulz/ M. Claudius)

22.  Ode ans Diesseits  (Solo-Version)   (Holger Saarmann)

German Folk, as presented by the mass media, is mostly commercial Schlager music, disguised in traditional costumes. 

Combined with the impressions of Munich Oktoberfest, that is also the image of current German Folk music abroad: Lots of Hump-ta-ta with beer.

This album will offer you a completely different view: It presents German Folk in its most intimate purity, just vocals and guitar. 

This album reveals the roots of the romantic Lied composers, such as Beethoven, Brahms and Mendelssohn.

Collected here are rarely performed ancient songs of love and farewell, of deaths and maidens, of dukes and beggars, of revels and revolution, of luck and loss, of rings and riddles, of seduction and devotion, of green pastures and cool valleys.

72 minutes playing time!

In addition to the 8-pages CD-booklet, the lyrics (German/ English) are included on two extra sheets.

(You can also download a pdf file here.)

Price:  10 Euro + shipping *

* Shipping costs within Germany are waived for orders with a value of EUR 30 or more.
The shipping costs to foreign countries are only waived for orders over EUR 45.
(>> Conditions of sale)

Holger Saarmann  "Der Mond geht auf die Reise"

Compilation of audio samples (app. 40 seconds per song):

Mara Petersohn, who did the cover artwork, commissioned me to record this album of lullabies – for her son and for all the little children of her friends. Repeat orders came in quickly.

New songs issued here are "Leise, Peterle, leise", "Verstohlen geht der Mond auf", the english classics "Scarborough Fair" and "Rest sweet Nymphs" and the yiddish "Aj-lju-lju" (sung by Fetija Jasari). It also includes four tracks from "Hüt dich, schöns Blümelein!" and – exclusively – the first version of my "Stiller Schlager".

Ten lully songs from five centuries and six countries.

Vocals, guitar, glockenspiel & all arrangements by Holger Saarmann –

except for "Rest sweet Nymphs", which is an original composition from 1605 for voice & lute

This CD was first "issued" in December 2003, starting with 15 copies. It will be "burned" on request and (instead of a label) signed by hand, packed in a slim-case, together with a beautiful colour-copied cover inlay.

Price: 7 Euro + shipping (no discount!)

Shipping costs within Germany are waived for orders with a value of EUR 30 or more.
The shipping costs to foreign countries are only waived for orders over EUR 45.
(>> Conditions of sale)

Note: This CD is a self-burned, hand-lettered provisional! I use "Platinum" CDs which were judged "good" by "Stiftung Warentest" in 2003. However, I cannot take any guarantee for their life expectancy. It is left to your discretion to copy the CD to a medium of your confidence.
Please consider that many older CD players are not fit to play self-burned CDs (faultlessly). In such case, I recommend to copy your CD, by PC, to a blank disc of a different brand.

Sheet Music

A lyrics and sheet music book with all (!) my songs including chords, partly also tablatures, is in preparation.
If you would like a single song, you can obtain it as a PDF for a fee of 2 to 4 euros per song (depending on the number of pages) until further notice. If a printout is desired, I will charge additional shipping costs by arrangement.

Bahnsteig gegenüber   (Saarmann)
6 pages –  4 Euro

Liebe neu erfunden   (Saarmann)
6 pages –  4 Euro

Briefballade   (Saarmann)
3 pages –  4 Euro

Der Gast   (Saarmann)
4 pages –  4 Euro

Hinaufschauen   (Holger Saarmann)
4 pages –  4 Euro

Ave Maria / Vergiss mich nicht   (Karl May)
Two songs on 3 pages –  4 Euro

Wenn ich ein Vöglein wär  (Trad.)  /
Abendlied  (Der Mond ist aufgegangen)   (J.A.P. Schulz/ M. Claudius)
Two songs on 2 pages –  3 Euro

Solveigs Lied (Solveigs Sang)   (Edvard Grieg/ Henrik Ibsen/ German transl. Holger Saarmann)
>> sample excerpt as JPG
2 pages –  3 Euro



(>> Conditions of sale)

Das große Christof Stählin-Liederbuch (2022)

80 songs 
with notes, texts, chords, fingering chart,

selected and transcribed by Holger Saarmann, 
Philipp Dewald and Matthias Binner.

185 pages, 
Ring binding, with photos, drawings and graphics by Christof Stählin, Anselm Stählin, Oda Stählin, Frieder Grindler, Wolfgang Schmidt, Helmut König and Heiner Grieder.

From the editors' foreword::

When Christof Stählin died in 2015 at the age of 73, he left behind a body of work of astonishing quality and quantity. Throughout a full life as a poet, he had created songs, poems, stories, essays, aphorisms and shaking rhymes with an unmistakable handwriting, which are reminiscent of no companion but stand up to any comparison.

The early decision to self-publish almost exclusively freed his work from many editorial and business limitations, but also limited the dissemination of his art.

In 2017, the Christof Stählin Society was founded as a non-profit association to care for this literary treasure. Friends, students, colleagues, relatives and interested parties order the personal and artistic estate under its umbrella. The availability of both published and out-of-print works is to be guaranteed. Never released works shall be presented to the public.

In this collection, Christof's best-known songs are juxtaposed with pearls that have not been heard for a long time; juvenile works meet late works that Christof was no longer able to publish. 

Christof Stählin's living legacy also includes the SAGO school of songwriting. Three of its graduates and members (...) have selected 80 songs that invite you to sing them, and have notated them in such a way that they will hopefully be easily accessible to singers and accompanists. (...)

>> Zum Inhaltsverzeichnis (PDF zum Download)



Price: 28 Euro + shipping *

Shipping costs within Germany are waived for orders with a value of EUR 30 or more.
The shipping costs to foreign countries are only waived for orders over EUR 45.
(>> Conditions of sale)

The book is also available at the (German only) Website der Christof Stählin Society.
In the sense of significantly lower shipping costs, 
please send orders from Switzerland to Alva Liv Heiniger,

SAGO – Alles, was ein Lied braucht (2022)

Instructions from Christof Stählin's School of Music and Poetry,
completed and edited by Philipp S Rhaesa
with the collaboration of numerous graduates.

284 pages, hardcover, 
with drawings by Matthias Reuter.

Published by Zeuys Books/ Edition Nomen+Omen

From the introductory chapter:

Christof Stählin began to impart his knowledge of the techniques and backgrounds of song writing at workshops in the early seventies. (...) A workshop scene had already formed at the legendary "Chanson Folklore international" meetings at Burg Waldeck, 1964-69. (...)
In 1989, when the so-called Liedermacher-Welle had long since subsided, Stählin was given the opportunity to start anew as a teacher of singer-songwriter art. A five-day seminar was held at the Heimvolkshochschule in Rendsburg, attended mainly by the previous year's prize winners of a well-known Berlin students' competition and gathering of young music scene. For this, Stählin had developed a fundamentally new concept based on his old workshops. It consisted (and still consists) of four pillars:

* Lectures on cultural history, mythology, linguistics, music and philosophy.
* exercises for artistic perception (...)
* Understanding with a "technical vocabulary" of images.

It will not explain how to write a song, but rather reflect thoughts on how to work and live permanently in such a way that the flow of ideas does not diminish, nor does the quality of one's own work.
We tried to emulate the character of the oral instruction at SAGO. Some chapters therefore begin with a question for you to ponder before you turn the page. It is always about art and the conditions of its production.
All the explanations that follow the tasks go back to Christof Stählin or elaborate on his thoughts. The longer chapters come from Stählin's estate. They depict forty years of thinking about the art of songwriting.


Price: 28 Euro + shipping *

Shipping costs within Germany are waived for orders with a value of EUR 30 or more.
The shipping costs to foreign countries are only waived for orders over EUR 45.
(>> Conditions of sale)

The book is also available at the (German only) Website der Christof Stählin Society.
In the sense of significantly lower shipping costs, 
please send orders from Austria to the publisher Zeuys Books,
from Switzerland to Alva Liv Heiniger,