The Munich Summer Ball, which was hosted in July by ESME e.V. and organised by members of our Resident Alien Big Band, raised over EUR 700 for for “Musik schafft Heimat”, a project instigated by the Bayerische Philharmonie within the major initiative “Integration und Toleranz“ of the Wertebündnis Bayern to help integrate refugees into their new home in Munich through the universal language of music.

Yesterday we had the pleasure of watching some of these groups perform at the Bayerische Philharmonie’s open day in Munich Pasing.

The male singers were all wearing T-shirts with names of cities – Aleppo, Homs, Damaskus – followed by “Munich”; cities we have all heard far too much about in the news. They sang together about “Heimat” and ended with their own version of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”. Their wives and children stood proudly in the audience and cheered with everybody else at the end of each song. A further group played on traditional Syrian instruments.

It is impossible for us to imagine what these people have been through, both at home and on the 47-day trek to a better life in Germany. It is wonderful to see them smiling and making music together here in Munich. Please take time to have a look at their website: http://www.bayerische-philharmonie.de/Navigation/Soziales-Engagement/Musik-schafft-Heimat