The Germans have a saying: “Wo man singt da lass dich ruhig nieder, boesse Menschen kennen keine Lieder,” which translates, “Where people sing, there you may abide in peace, for bad people have no songs.” German-Texan singing societies serve as both a way to make beautiful music, and as social glue that kept German culture alive. Bellville’s singing society – Concordia Gesang-Verein – began in 1860 and performed in the original Concordia Hall. That hall was leveled by a hurricane in 1900, but rebuilt just south of downtown Bellville. Voices still ring out in Concordia Hall. Each spring, groups from across the state converge on Bellville for Fruehling Saengerfest, a German singing festival featuring a biergarten, dancing, live music, and boisterous singalongs.

Watch our Saengerfests and Singing Societies video to learn more about German Texan cultural heritage in Texas. This video was produced for inclusion in our German Texans mobile tour.