The hubertus masses have become a christian tradition, with hunters and friends of the hunting community playing wind instruments to provide the musical part of the service. For many years the mass has also been celebrated in the basilica of vierzehnheiligen. The parforce group of the bavarian hunt protection and hunter association lichtenfels impressed last saturday with powerful horn sound. The brass players were accompanied by the basilica organist georg hagel on the organ. In front of the basilica, the furst-pless-horn brass band from bad staffelstein blew traditional hunting signals before and after the service.
In his sermon, franciscan priest stanislaus wentowski urges people to turn away from irresponsible hunting and to turn to the careful treatment of the animal and plant world entrusted to them by humans. In order to maintain the balance, the hunters had to regulate and restore the equilibrium. The faithful were amused when the priest poured a bottle of "jagermeister" held up. He does not want to advertise for the herb liqueur, but on the label is the guiding principle of the hunters and hunters: "that is the hunter’s shield of honor, that he protects and cherishes his game, hunts like a hunter, as it should be, honors the hunter in the hunt.
Father stanislaus then gave the legend of st. Hubertus. Hubertus, who was not yet a saint at all, went hunting, saw a deer and put his crossbow on it. Then the animal suddenly stopped, turned around, and a shining cross appeared between its antlers. "Hubertus, I redeem thee and yet thou pursuest me", ertonte a voice. Thereupon hubertus had thrown away his gun and broken with his old life.
Of course, it could be said that it is a pious legend, so the clerical. But in the legends are hidden certain truths. "Each of us has a task to perform. Yours is to care for the forest and the animals without neglecting any of it.", the father concluded his sermon. With "waidmanns heil" father stanislaus finished his address.
Organist georg hagel masterfully integrated the symphonic bass organ into the sound of the horns and filled the enormous volume of the basilica. The art of interpretation of the waidmanners was characterized by the certainty of tone and the joy of music. After the consecration the bells rang out. The wind players also master this instrumental peculiarity with alternating lowest and highest notes. After the "agnus dei and the blessing, the congregation, the blower and the organ took turns. For the exit the horns sounded once again with the hymn to st. Eustachius.
The hubertus mass will be performed on friday, 10. November, at 7 pm, in the parish church of st. John the baptist in isling and on friday, 17. November, at 6 pm, in the hankirche prachting repeated. The participants are petra and jurgen treuter, martina neu, sylvia tempel, ingrid and uwe hollfelder, peter gansler, peter neu, lorenz wagner, hermann mausbacher, volker pohl, hermann angermuller, andreas winkler and zdenek fiala (musical direction).