Herms Niel & Reichsmusikzug des RAD

[Claymore]

Das Lied der LWH.jpg (228.52 KiB) Viewed 2237 times

[Ivan Ž.]

First time I hear about that song Thank you very much for posting! (Added to the list of works.)

Cheers!
Ivan

[Michael Jonas]

Hi there,

This is a perfect post for a Reichsarbeitsdienst specialist. Thank you very much for the pictures.

After the war, Niel was a leader of a dance orchestra - "Tanzkapelle" in northern Germany Niedersachsen.
He played every weekend for dance with his 20 musicians.
I have a lot of pictures - only in paper. I need time to scan a sample.

Greetings
Michael
http://www.arbeitsdienst.de

[Ivan Ž.]

Hello, Michael, and thank you very much for your post.

Please do scan a few postwar photos of Niel!

Cheers,
Ivan

[Michael Jonas]

Hi Ivan,

I will search in my collection - in this moment I have only a hunch. I own more than 80.000 RAD pictures.

Cheers,
Michael

[Ivan Ž.]

Die Deutsche Wochenschau 531, released on 6 November 1940.
Niel and the Reichsmusikzug were filmed holding a concert for wounded Italian soldiers in a hospital in Rome (Oct. 1940).
Used as soundtrack in the report was a radio (studio) recording of Niel's "Erika".

A few screenshots from this newsreel:

DW 531a.jpg (149.04 KiB) Viewed 1092 times

DW 531b.jpg (137.59 KiB) Viewed 1092 times

DW 531c.jpg (139.58 KiB) Viewed 1092 times

DW 531d.jpg (142.43 KiB) Viewed 1092 times

DW 531e.jpg (137.53 KiB) Viewed 1092 times

DW 531f.jpg (139.58 KiB) Viewed 1092 times

[Ivan Ž.]

Sechs Tage Heimaturlaub (movie), released on 3 October 1941.
Niel and the Reichsmusikzug were filmed playing Niel's "Erika", which was sung by the audience.

A few screenshots from this movie:

SechsTageHeimaturlaub1941b.jpg (126.5 KiB) Viewed 1091 times

SechsTageHeimaturlaub1941c.jpg (114.98 KiB) Viewed 1091 times

SechsTageHeimaturlaub1941d.jpg (114.27 KiB) Viewed 1091 times

[behemoth]

I just found this: Deutsches Lied.

The referenced site is very good and deserves a visit if you haven't done so already.

Dave

[Ivan Ž.]

Yes, it's the best source for lyrics of old German songs on the internet, I know it well

Cheers,
Ivan

[John P. Doyle]

It's great to read all these experts about Herms Niel - I feel I know nothing compared to you all!

One song which may have been missed is: "Wenn wir so marschieren" (Morgens durch das Lagertor)?

Does anyone have the text of "Kleine Elisabeth - schöne Elisabeth"?

And the song "Wo bist du, Deutschland, schönstes Land der Erde?": is this the song I know as "Deutschland, wir grüßen dich"? I have a recording sung in a very deep, emotional voice. It includes something about "Russlands Samovare" (My German is not good!). Does anyone have the text of this?

Best wishes to you all.

John.

[Ivan Ž.]

Hello, John!

1) "Wenn wir so marschieren" is in the list.

2) Yes, it's the same song. The "Russlands Samovare" bit is: "Uns hält kein Traum von Russlands Samowaren..."

3) "Kleine Elisabeth - schöne Elisabeth!" lyrics:



Cheers,
Ivan

[Claymore]

...for Ivan...

Heut stechen wir ins blaue Meer.jpg (208.52 KiB) Viewed 1879 times

[Sdt]

"Mein schönes Fuldatal" is also from Niel. I don't know if he wrote lyrics or composed the music (or both ?). Date is probably late thirties.

Info comes from the CD "Das Grammophon" - Folge 6.

[behemoth]

Yet another piece of Niel history, from Sound Matters - Essays on the Acoustics of German Culture by Lutz P Koepnick and Nora M. Alter: Niel also composed the "Krimfanfare" in 1944 which he described as a "Durchaltefanfare" or "Fanfare of Perserverence" for German troops surrounded on the Crimean peninsula. See pp. 72-3 of the referenced work.

Dave

[Ivan Ž.]

Thanks to Claymore for another excellent songcard, and to Thomas & Dave for the additions! (List of works updated.)

Cheers,
Ivan