Musical director:
Kapellmeister Hubert Bratl
In 1950, Johann Dornhofer founded a music band in Rabenwald. Thanks to the support of the miners’ association and the talcum powder factories in Rabenwald, it was possible to re-equip the music association with miners’ uniforms in the same year. The Barbara celebration, which has since become a tradition, was held for the first time together with the Rabenwald miners’ association.
In 1961, the miners’ band, which had previously been part of the miners’ guild, was founded as an independent association under the name ‘Bergkapelle Rabenwald’ (Rabenwald Miners’ Band).
The 1990s were difficult times for the band. The music association shrank to 30 members, so that consideration was given to continuing the music association with an Egerland ensemble. The reason for this was that on 17 March 1989, the final switch from underground mining to open-cast mining had taken place at Rabenwald, and more and more machines were being used, resulting in many miners being laid off and leaving the area.
In 1999, the band finally experienced a revival under chairman Gerhard Derler, who succeeded in integrating young musicians into the Bergkapelle through his dedicated work in the field of recorder teaching and through increased cooperation with the Anger Music School.
Since 2002, Hubert Bratl, former music teacher at the Weiz Music School and honorary district bandmaster of the Birkfeld Music District, has been bandmaster of the Rabenwald Mountain Band.
Today, the Rabenwald Mountain Band comprises 65 musicians. Among its greatest successes in recent years are its participation in concert competitions, the awarding of eight Styrian Panthers to date, and the awarding of a total of three Robert Stolz Medals (2009, 2012, 2018).
Church music has a fixed place in the calendar of the Rabenwald mountain band. Processions in particular are an integral part of church life in the region. These include the Palm Sunday, Corpus Christi and Bartholomew processions, which have been accompanied by music since 1952.
The traditional Barbara Mass is held annually as part of the Barbara celebrations in the parish church of Anger, accompanied by music. The Rabenwald mountain band, together with the Rabenwald miners’ association, workers and employees of Imerys Talc Austria, and numerous guests of honour, usually gather at the end of November/beginning of December.
The first Barbara celebration was held in 1951 together with the miners’ association in the Grünbründl Chapel and thus has a long tradition.