CLEFNI

The choral life in the cities of Bern and Fribourg in the long nineteenth century

The 19th century saw a rise of many choral societies in Europe and the development of a choral movement that promoted not only community singing but also patriotism. In Switzerland, men’s choirs in particular had a strong patriotic character. However, unlike in neighbouring nations, patriotism in Switzerland could not be based on linguistic or cultural unity. Instead, it called for a sense of togetherness that united the different cultures that make up the country.

Togetherness and national unity were promoted at national festivals, such as the Swiss Singing, Shooting, and Gymnastics Festivals. Historical documents of the Federal Singing Association describe how patriotic speeches during the festivals promoted a sense of belonging regardless of linguistic, cultural, or religious differences. These festivals were attended by few choirs, however. Little is known about whether this promotion of national unity was part of the everyday life of the participating choirs and whether it reached choirs that did not participate.

The Swiss choral tradition has been largely absent from recent international publications. Particularly lacking are in-depth studies that shed light on the everyday life of choirs and compare choral activities in different linguistic and religious parts of Switzerland. This leads to a general lack of systematic understanding of how the 19th-century choral movement contributed to multicultural understanding in Switzerland.

The CLEFNI project addresses these research gaps by comparing choral life in the cities of Bern and Fribourg during the long 19th century (1789-1914). Bern is a predominantly Protestant and German-speaking city, while Fribourg is predominantly Catholic and French-speaking. CLEFNI illuminates the historical circumstances and specific conditions that made multicultural understanding possible in Switzerland, with a view to discussing issues that are relevant not only to this country, but to the whole of Europe.

CLEFNI is conducted by Dr. Caiti Hauck at the Institute of Musicology of the University of Bern. 

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 833366.

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