The Kastelruther Spatzen are in the starting blocks with a new album. In the interview, front man Norbert Rier talks about retirement.
Anyone who is a fan of folk hits cannot ignore the Kastelruther Spatzen. On June 25th, the seven musicians from South Tyrol will release their new album “HeimatLiebe”. Singer Norbert Rier (61) has been the band’s front man for almost 40 years. He has never thought of quitting, as he reveals in an interview with the news agency spot on news. The 61-year-old tries “to put this question in my head, knowing full well that this day will come someday”. He also talks about his family and his Haflinger breed.
Norbert Rier: Love of home means love of home. We are very connected to the mountains, our homeland. I grew up here and as a farmer I love the land that I manage. But the family is more important. Home is where you are loved and at home.
Rier: My Haflinger horses are my hobby as well as music, which then became my profession. What you like to do doesn’t burden you so much. That’s why I get my balance from my horses.
Rier: When I’m at home, I work in the fields and in the stable. That keeps me fit and healthy.
Rier: The best experiences were definitely the many awards we received as a band. That always gave us motivation and the confirmation that we are popular with people. The biggest low point was the death of our manager Karlheinz Gross in 1998 in Magdeburg.
Rier: Personally, I have never thought of quitting and try to suppress this question in my head, knowing full well that this day will come one day. Every now and then, my colleagues felt the urge to quit. But as long as it’s fun, everyone is happy and enthusiastic about it.
Rier: The time would be when more people are on stage than there are in the audience (laughs). But I and my colleagues still enjoy going on tour and now after the long Corona break we are really looking forward to it.
Rier: You already had a lot of time to think. But the family around me and my dear grandchildren were most important to me even before the pandemic. The fact that some people were forced to rethink and realized that not everything can be taken for granted the way it is was certainly healthy for some people. The tragedy makes you rather meek, because for many families sudden absence from work, closed schools, loss of income, fears of existence etc. became a real problem. There has never been anything like it in our generation.
Rier: Fortunately, my illness was only very mild and I was in quarantine for a week. I haven’t had any long-term effects until now, thank goodness.
Rier: As good as success can be, there are also negative things, for example the high level of stress and long night-time car journeys. Otherwise the sparrows luckily all stayed with their legs on the ground and did not take off. Success changes people, we were lucky.
Rier: You don’t love criticism. Clearly, but it would be wise to deal with the serious criticism. That motivates you to get better.
Rier: We are together for many hours and of course there are sometimes arguments or, better said, differences of opinion. Similar to a thunderstorm, but as it is with men, it will be forgotten by the next day at the latest. Success also welds together. Everyone has to know where the limits are, otherwise we wouldn’t be together for over 40 years.
Rier: From time to time we also meet privately in our home village of Castelrotto. Often they are invitations to mutual friends or you happen to meet somewhere in a bar or restaurant. But we don’t go on vacation together.
Rier: It was difficult, at first you weren’t allowed to leave the house and there were no rehearsals. Everyone practiced alone at home. Especially the wind players Walter (Mauroner, editor’s note) and Valentin (Silbernagl) always had to play and practice. A wind instrument is difficult and you should always keep practicing. They just played along with the tape alone. Now we meet again for rehearsals and a beer afterwards.
Rier: We have postponed the traditional open air planned for June to September, in the hope that the festival culture and concerts will be able to take place again by then. At the moment things are looking good, we are looking forward to the first concert in our home village. The big traditional sparrow festival in October will not be able to take place in the usual form. Too many people in one tent, that is certainly not legally feasible by then. As an alternative, we are planning some concerts on a smaller scale with a limited number of spectators.
Rier: At the moment, as already mentioned, I’m working on my farm, the haymaking is pending, there is a lot to do. In July we have an appearance in Rust on “Immer wieder sonntags”. From the end of September we will play the canceled and postponed concerts. As long as the current numbers keep falling, I am very confident that there will soon be sparrow sounds again live from the stage.