The choral collection "Loreley" (German Folk Songs) presents 147 songs in a wide range of styles. About two thirds of the settings have been specially written by top composers for this collection. As well as numbers with more traditional harmonies, there are also easy jazzy arrangements (by composers such as Matthias E. Becker, Peter Schindler, and Bernd Englbrecht) and settings using other modern, clever styles (by Sylke Zimpel, John Hoybye, and Theo Brandmüller).

A particular highlight of the collection is its openness to outside influences, with contributions by composers from Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Lithuania. As well as these new compositions, the collection contains famous folk song arrangements (by Brahms, Silcher, and Reger) and tried and tested settings by more modern composers (Helmut Barbe, Wolfram Buchenberg, Hans Schanderl, and Volker Wangenheim). A few of the folk songs have been included in two arrangements, so that there is not only a historic and a contemporary setting to choose from, but the verses can even be sung in alternation.

Edited by Gunter Graulich