With passion
25 Years of Shepherd Days on the Loferer Alm
Where Children Become “Hiatamadln” and “Hiatabuam”
Four days of life on the mountain pasture, making music together, rehearsing scenes and spending plenty of time as a group: the rehearsal days on the Loferer Alm have long been an integral part of the Salzburg Advent Singing for its young shepherds. In 2026, they held particular significance. For 25 years now, the Soderkaser mountain hut has been the place where the “Hiatamadln” and “Hiatabuam” come together a few months before the performances. In the anniversary year of the Salzburg Advent Singing, two important milestones coincided: 80 years of the Salzburg Advent Singing and 25 years of Shepherd Days on the Loferer Alm.
A Special Place for 25 Years
The story began in 2002. Hans Köhl, artistic director of the Salzburg Advent Singing, was looking for a secluded mountain hut where focused rehearsals would be possible while also giving the children a genuine experience of life on an alpine pasture. At his very first meeting with Georg Dürnberger, known as “Soder Schurl”, plans were quickly put into action and the young shepherds and their team were invited to the newly built Soderkaser on the Loferer Alm. Georg and Marianne Dürnberger were enthusiastic supporters from the very beginning. Eversince, the young shepherds have made their way up to the mountain pasture each year shortly before the start of school. Once the cows and calves have left the Soderkaser, the“Hiatabuam” and “Hiatamadln” take over the hut and stable for a few days. What began as an idea developed into a tradition, and over the years the close bond with the Soderbauer family grew into a friendship. Today, the traditional farm is run by their daughter Martina and her husband, with the support of the entire family. This year, the 25th anniversary was marked by a special tribute from Hans Köhl to the hosts of the Soderkaser – an expression of deep appreciation for a quarter of a century of hospitality and shared experiences.
Four Days in Which a Community Takes Shape
The days on the mountain are intensive. For four days, theatre director Gerda Gratzer and Edwin Hochmuth, who plays Rabbi Jakob, work with the children on their stage performance. This year marks Hochmuth’s tenth time accompanying the Shepherd Days, while Gratzer has been part of the Salzburg Advent Singing for five years.
What is particularly striking is how quickly the children come together as a group. “We arrive on the mountain pasture, assign the roles – and by the very next day, everything is in place,” says Gerda Gratzer. What makes the experience so special, she explains, is the harmony among the children: no envy, but plenty of joy and mutual support. The surroundings of the Loferer Alm are far more than a beautiful backdrop. The wide-open landscape provides ideal conditions for the children to practise speaking loudly and clearly; after all, only a few months later their voices will need to carry through the vast auditoriumof the Großes Festspielhaus. At the same time, the children experience much of what they will later portray on stage. The stable, animals, hay and daily life on the mountain pasture become a direct part of their experience for several days. Even during rehearsals, the children wear their costumes. Step by step, the different elements come together until what audiences see on stage during Advent appears entirely natural.
Natural, Colourful and Making Use of What Is Already There
The costumes of the young shepherds are also created with a particular focus on natural materials and sustainability. In 2026, costume designer Brigitte Schiebler is using colourful harem trousers made from old linen. Existing materials are reused, recombined and given new life. The young shepherds perform barefoot. The strong colours of their costumes will be further accentuated by the lighting in the Großes Festspielhaus. The result is a visual language that is both simple and expressive, shaping the world of the young shepherds in this year’s production, “The Great Mystery”.
Music That Grows on the Mountain
Musically, this year’s performances also place considerable demands on the young participants. The shepherd children are preparing four pieces for the anniversary year. These include a special version of “Silent Night” from the Flachgau region, the “Grödiger Walzer”and an “Aberseer mit Schleunigem”. Two longstanding members of the team who have been part of the Shepherd Days on the Loferer Alm from the very beginning are Gudrun Köhl-Korbuly and Markus Helminger. Their expertise ranges from looking after the children to their musical preparation, and for many years they have been affectionately known and appreciated as the “Hirtenmutter” and
“Hirtenvater” – the shepherds’ mother and father. For Elena Seywald, who joined the team two years ago, this is precisely what makes the days together so rewarding: the children learn new skills on their instruments and grow through the musical challenges they encounter. On the mountain, there is time for this process. Pieces are repeated, explored and learned together until individual voices and instruments gradually become one shared sound.
The Young Shepherds and 80 Years of the Salzburg Advent Singing
The history of the young shepherds reaches back almost as far as that of the Salzburg Advent Singing itself. In the 1950 performances, three “Sternsinger-Kinder” – young carol singers – appeared for the first time. The first group of shepherds followed in 1951, and in 1952 the first Salzburg shepherd play by Tobi Reiser was performed. Over the decades, both the names and the composition of the groups changed.“Hirtenspielbuben” became “Hirtenbuben”, while at times additional young shepherd singers joined the ensemble. In 1990, Kathi Herbst became the first girl to join the shepherd group. Since then, “Hiatamadln” and “Hiatabuam” alike have been part of the community. Around 400 children have contributed music, singing and stage performances over the decades. Many of them still carry the memories of this special time with them today.
“In the Middle of Paradise”
The anniversary year makes particularly clear how closely the Shepherd Days are linked with personal memories. For Gudrun Köhl-Korbuly, the days together have long been a matter close to her heart.“It feels like being part of a family up here, right in the middle of paradise. The nights are short, and there is always plenty going on. ”The fact that this year’s Shepherd Days also herald a farewell brings a sense of wistfulness. Above all, however, there is gratitude for all those who have made this special tradition possible over the past 25 years.
