Choral repertoire and Swiss national identity in the nineteenth century: Bern and Fribourg in comparison and contrast

During the nineteenth century, a great number of music and choral societies were founded all over Europe, giving rise to a choral movement that fostered not only communal singing and conviviality, but also patriotic feelings. In Switzerland, choral societies contributed to the development of a national identity, especially through the activity of numerous men’s choirs. Important overviews of Swiss nineteenth-century choral life are provided in books written roughly a century ago, however this theme is almost entirely neglected in recent publications. There is a lack of specific knowledge about the choral activities in different places, hence about the musical repertoire. The cities of Bern and Fribourg, for instance, have different cultures and traditions, also because of their linguistic (German/French) and religious (Protestant/Catholic) differences. To what extent did the choral repertoire in these cities differ or resemble one another? This paper presents preliminary results of an ongoing research on the choral life in the cities of Bern and Fribourg during the nineteenth century. It aims to compare and contrast the repertoire of songbooks for men’s choirs published in Bern and Fribourg from 1851 to 1871. Methods include analyses of sources in archives of nineteenth-century choral societies, as well as musical and textual analyses of songs. Ongoing analysis suggests many similarities between men’s choir repertoire in Bern and Fribourg. Nonetheless, some significant differences are observed. Expected results can provide new insights into the choral movement in French-speaking and German-speaking Switzerland, as well as into the notion of national identity as represented in men’s choir repertoire.