Description
The self-titled full-length album by the German progressive rock band Oratorium was released on ASS in 1972. Arranged by the band. All song composed by Bernhard Hornig with lyrics co-written by Georg Hornig.
Featuring Rainer Hornig on lead vocals and guitar; Bernhard Hornig on organ, leyboards, bass, and vocals; Georg Hornig on organ, keyboards, percussion, bass, and vocals; Rolf Huber on guitar, bass, percussion, and vocals; Helmut Busschel on guitar, bass, drums, and percussion; and Bernd Winterstetter on drums.
ORATORIUM heisst die Gruppe junger Musiker aus Hof in Bayern. In ihrem progressiven Gottesdienst verkünden sie neu die Kraft der Gemeinde Jesu. Auch wenn es so aussieth, als wenn unsere Zeit über die Kirchen hinwegrollt, so glauben sie nicht, dass nur einige Alte in den Trümmern zurückbleiben.
[Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th edition]
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Ich Bin Nicht Mehr Allein”
A2. “Du Bist Die Antwort”
A3. “Du Bist Die Stimme”
A4. “Wir Feiern Große Festlichkeiten”
A5. “Denkt Daran”
Side Two
B1. “Vater Unser”
B2. “Überall In Dieser Welt”
B3. “It’s Love” (Es Ist Die Liebe)
B4. “Seid Ihm Dankbar”
Note: Featuring very thin paper gatefold cover which is completely blanco on the inside. Limited to 300 copies.
The self-titled album by Oratorium is one of the best hidden treasures of German early 1970s psych Krautrock private pressings! The only LP from this young 6-piece group (3 brothers and friends) from Hof (Bavaria), 9 great songs full of haunting melodies, swirling, wailing Farfisa organ, guitars, sparkling piano, bass and drums, and – in opposite to most other private Krautrock LPs – superb vocals. The dark echo-ey / reverb-laden sound sometimes reminds me of Mary Butterworth and gives this LP this particular spine-chilling, goosepimples-producing feeling of those magnificent 1960s psych-garage ballads.
Sounds more like a 1968 era American garage psych album, than anything typically coming from Germany circa 1972. Excepting the semi-narrated vocals in German of course. Somewhat like Ainigma’s “Diluvium”, but a better reference is some of the 45’s coming from the German underground as featured on Garden of Delight’s “Psychedelic Gems” series. Straightforward rock n roll songs, with Farfisa organ, slightly fuzzy guitars, echoed piano and a lot of vocals. A very unusual sound for Germany.
The group from Hof (Bavaria), consisted of three Hornig brothers and their friends. We recorded one of the best albums of the psycho-kraut of the early 70s among private publications. They sing in their native language, the texts are of a Christian orientation. The album on CD has not been reissued.
***
The 1972 self-titled debut album by German group, Oratorium, is one of those rare albums that is shrouded in a certain mystique. This is a record that invites you into a sacred and supernatural world, one of uncompromising religious progressive rock.
Led by composer Bernhard Hornig, the band was formed in 1967 under the name of Christian Unity with the focus solely on religious music. The early formation of the band consisted of three brothers and two class mates, all teenagers at the time. The Hornig brothers were the creative minds in the band. Bernhard acted as the composer, Georg took care of writing the lyrics and their youngest brother Rainer, who had had vocal training as a member of a famous German youth choir, took over the lead vocals.
Bernhard soon began composing songs for a religious rock mass, the first of it’s kind. In December 1968, long before the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, the first German Beat-Mass debuted which was almost banned by the local bishop. Luckily, all went well, and Christian Unity received official blessings to continue to play. When Bernhard finished writing the 2nd German beat mass in June 1969 they became Oratorium. They performed at local schools, diverse ecumenical events, as well as for the US armed forces. In 1971, the leader of the influential Christian youth organization, KIM, padre Lienhard, contacted the group and organized a tour of 15 concerts which ultimately led to the idea to record a vinyl LP.
The recording of Oratorium took place 3 days during March of 1972 at the St. Konradskirche in Hof. The mass itself was a glorious success and the album itself was as daring as it could get for a religious release! Unlike other Christian and religious albums of the time which always tended towards pop or amateurish rock, Oratorium was different; there was a serious, professional and progressive approach in their music. Songs were well arranged with rhythmic changes and thrilling organ performances. Rainer Hornig floated above the orchestrations with a charismatic voice. Outstanding songs of the album are the opening title Ich Bin Nicht Mehr Allein, which was originally part of the first mass, as well as the epic It’s Love, a composition from the second mass.
Of course, as goes many of the stories told here, with almost zero promotion and no distribution channels the album didn’t do anything. The handful of copies which are known to exist these days as well as the great music placed this album among the top rarities for Krautrock collectors worldwide.
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