Erna Woll (23 March 1917 – 7 April 2005) was a German composer, church musician and author.
Erna Woll was born in St. Ingbert in the Saar. She studied music from 1936 to 1938 at the Evangelisches Kirchenmusikalisches Institut Heidelberg with Wolfgang Fortner and studied composition from 1940 to 1944 with Joseph Haas and Gustav Geierhaas at the Munich Academy of Music. During this time she converted to Catholicism, and from 1946 to 1948 she studied Catholic church music at the Cologne Music Academy with Heinrich Lemacher, Theodor Bernhard Rehmann and Hermann Schroeder.
From 1950 to 1962, Woll worked as an organist in Cologne Bayenthal and a music teacher and choral director at the Church Music Institute in Speyer. From 1962-1969 she was a lecturer, and from 1969 to 1972 she was Honorary Professor at the College of Education at Augsburg. In 1972 she retired from working due to a serious illness, but after recovering she continued to compose. Woll died 7 April 2005 in Augsburg.
Erna Woll was a member of professional organizations including the Werkgemeinschaft Musik, the Ecumenical Lyricists and Composers working group, and the AG Musik in der Evangelischen Jugend.
1963 and 1967: Valentin-Becker-Prize of the City Brückenau
1972: first prize of the contest "New hymn Kiel"
1976: Awards of the German Federal Government and the singer generally Swabian Sängerbund
1993: papal honor Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice for services to the Catholic Church Music
1997: Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Erna Woll composed over 200 works including solo songs, choruses, motets, cantatas and choral pieces. She was especially interested in the music genre of New Sacred Song (Neues Geistliches Lied). Selected works include:
Love songs for medium voice and piano, Schott (1944/55)
Sweet lyre. Triptych for mixed chorus and tenor solo, Schott (1960/65)
Choralis Missa for mixed or equal voices, congregation and organ. Schwann (1958/60)
We believe. Ordinary for mixed or equal voices, congregation and organ, Fidula (1965)
Spiritus domini. Proprium to Pentecost Sunday for choir and orchestra (1963)
Seven lives I should like to have. Cycle for solo voice, mixed choir and instruments, Helbling (1966)
Requiem for the living. for mixed choir and instruments on texts by *Marie Luise Kaschnitz Others Möseler (1975)
Four motets. based on texts by Gertrude von le Fort (1975–76), South German music publisher
Search - Hearing - praise. Orgeltriptychon, Strube, 1985
Augsburg Organ Issue. Strube, 1987
Sola gratia. Strube, 1988
Invocations. Strube, 1988
Christmas Gospel according to Luke. Strube, 1988
Children ask for Maria. Strube, 1988
Through the pain barrier V. 1989
Women around Jesus. Strube, 1990
Songs to God, othodoxen service for equal voices, 1990 dedicated to the Segiuschor Weingarten
How to sing and say. Strube, 1991
The well-beloved, the Niegeliebten. Strube, 1991
Mirjam born. Five Meditations for Organ, Pro Organo, 1991
Now the dark night is over. Strube, 1991
... and Mary. Strube, 1992
Sound tracks on the organ. Boehm, 1992
Meditate on flute and organ. Boehm, 1992
Transient response. Mosaic for organ, Schott 1993
Where are you, God. Strube, 1995
Magic wishes. Furore, 1995
The 80th Psalm. Strube, 1995
Ave Maria tender. Strube, 1997
It is the Lord of glory. Strube, 1997
From sky high. Möseler 2002