NDR Vokalensemble voiceXchange#14: Hamburg & Shanty feat. mahoin RELOADED

Cast off! With the musical sailors of mahoin, the singers of the NDR Vokalensemble will board the Fabrik in Hamburg Altona on June 12. An exhilarating and sonorous voyage with a breeze of shanties and plenty of Hamburg charm.

voiceXchange #14

Catherina Witting soprano
Anna-Maria Torkel alto
Alexandra Hebart alto
Christian Georg Tenor
Andreas Heinemeyer Bass
from the NDR Vokalensemble

Special Guests:
Johnny Steuermann & Singer
Kuddel Accordion
Heiner saxophone
HoDi (Horst-Dieter) tuba
Willi drums
from mahoin

Vendula Nováková artistic director

Classical music and shanties - an unexpected combination
On June 12, 2026, the voiceXchange concert series will be held at the Kulturzentrum Fabrik in Altona. Once again, the singers of the NDR Vokalensemble have brought the sailor marching band mahoin on board and promise their audience an adventurous and poetic journey through maritime soundscapes - with plenty of opportunities to sing and sway along. It's off to new shores when classical vocal music meets fresh shanty folk, brass beats and a good dose of sailor's yarn. A concert that makes the musical soul of the Hanseatic city dance.

The connection between classical music and shanties is deeper than it seems at first glance. "Whether in the concert halls of high culture or at the bar of the harbour pub, the tradition of singing together not only strengthens the community, but also has the potential to open up entire emotional worlds in a way that the spoken or written word can hardly do," writes the unusual formation mahoin, underlining the importance of this artistic encounter.

Maritime joie de vivre kisses musicality
mahoin see themselves and their music as more than mere entertainment - they are an expression of North German identity and pure joie de vivre. "Our music reflects the longing for the sea, convivial evenings in the harbor and the power of singing together," says helmsman and singer Johnny, who is on stage together with his crew - Kuddel on accordion, Heiner on saxophone, HoDi on tuba and Willi on drums.

The self-proclaimed "top-class sailor marching band" provides adventure on deck and ashore - from Hamburg to Haiti. Nordic. Fresh. And with the pulse of St. Pauli. The sound is as authentic as they are. "This joie de vivre is reflected in the melodies and lyrics that we play and sing."