As a child Manfred Siebald learned to play several musical instruments, including the violin, the viola and the piano. Along with his studies at the University of Marburg he took instruction in harmonisation and singing. As early as 1970 he was conducting the Youth for Christ Choir and singing in the Christ Singers. He also brought out his first single – "Meinst du wirklich, es genügt?" – at that time. In 1972 he published his first solo album, entitled Da steh ich nun. Siebald gained an international following with his performances at Eurofest '75, the international youth conference and evangelistic crusade which was organized by the Billy Graham organisation in Brussels. Siebald has often been compared with the singer-songwriter Reinhard Mey for his style, and sometimes with Graham Kendrick for his influence on Christian music in his country.
Over time he has become the most well-known German Christian singer songwriter, and has influenced many others. This is demonstrated, among other things, by the release of the album In deinem Haus – A Tribute to Manfred Siebald in 2003, consisting of reinterpretations of some of Siebald's best-loved songs by other well-known Christian musicians (such as Michael Janzde from the group Beatbetriebde). The album was arranged by Florian Sitzmannde and produced by Arne Kopfermannde.
Siebald also translates English songs and writes lyrics for other singers. For example, he wrote all the lyrics for Cae Gauntt'sde album Welt von 1000 Wegen. He is frequently asked to write a theme song for special meetings or conferences. This was the case when he wrote "Von deinen Worten können wir leben" (We Can Live Off Your Words) for The Year of the Bible in 1992. To date Siebald has penned about 350 songs, produced 19 albums and published seven poetry books.
Manfred Siebald performs about thirty concerts annually, accompanying himself on various acoustic guitars. For this he travels all over Germany and abroad. For his concerts abroad, including the US, South Africa, and Sri Lanka, he has produced English versions of his songs.
Academic career
In 1967, Siebald graduated from secondary school in Kassel. While on tour in America with the German Youth for Christ Choir, he studied at Manchester College, North Manchester, Indiana, in 1969. He then read German and English philology at Philipps University of Marburg. He trained to be a secondary school teacher of English and German, taking his first state diploma examination in 1972. After his marriage in 1973, he paused his studies for three years, completing his teacher training by taking the second state examination in 1976.
In 1977, he did a PhD in American studies at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. His dissertation dealt with the topic Auflehnung im Werk Herman Melvilles – Rebellion in Herman Melville's Novels. In 1983, he was made assistant professor (tenured) for American studies at Johannes Gutenberg University and continued his academic work after completion of his PhD. He interrupted his work at Mainz by taking sabbaticals at Wheaton College (Illinois) (Clyde S. Kilby Professor in 1992) and guest professor at Georgia State University in Atlanta (1996 and 1997). In the first year (1996), Siebald produced the monograph Der verlorene Sohn in der amerikanischen Literatur – The Prodigal Son in American Literature – which was published in 2003. He was made associate professor in American studies in Mainz in 2002 and has remained there to the present.[1]
Other activities
Manfred Siebald is curator of the Faith and Science Institute of the Studentenmission in Deutschland (SMD), the German equivalent of the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF). In 1979, the nationwide television special "Whether My Songs Are Loud or Soft" was broadcast about his work. The same year, he co-founded the Christian arts group Das Rad (The Wheel) in Wetzlar, together with about 50 other Christians also working in the arts.
He is married to a doctor, Christine Siebald (née Stossberg), and they have a son, Benjamin, born in 1984.
"Ins Wasser fällt ein Stein" – "A Stone Drops in the Pond", original text ("It only takes a spark") and music: Kurt Kaiser, his best-known song in the current German Protestant hymnal Evangelisches Gesangbuch (EG)
"Es geht ohne Gott in die Dunkelheit" – "It's dark without God"
"In Deinem Haus" – "In your house, Lord"
"Jesus, zu dir kann ich so kommen wie ich bin" – "I can come to you, Jesus, just as I am" (music: Johannes Nitsch [de], sung every evening of the ProChrist [de] crusade.)
"Gut, dass wir einander haben" – "It's good that we've got each other" (song about the advantages of Christian fellowship)
"Friede sei mit dir" – "Peace be with thee" (benediction)
"Du bist mein Rabe" – "You are my raven" (love song)
"Die Weihnachtsfreude" – "Christmas joy" (a well-known carol, used as the theme tune for the cartoon Die Stadt, die Weihnachten vergaß – The Town That Forgot Christmas)
"Wenn wir Gott in der Höhe ehren" – "If we glorify God in the Highest" (Christmas carol)
Discography
Single
"Meinst du wirklich, es genügt?" (1970) Do you really mean, it's enough?"
Vinyl albums
Da steh ich nun (1972) Here I stand
Ich gehe weiter (1974) I'll press on
Das ungedüngte Feld (1976) A Field of organic food see: discussion
Zeitpunkte (1978) Points in Time
Überall hat Gott seine Leute (1983) ("Manfred Siebald and Friends") God has his people everywhere The title comes from Manfred's translation of Andrae Crouch's song "Through it all".
Pitti lächelt und andere Geschichten – Pitti smiled and other stories (2008) ISBN978-3-7655-1982-6
Articles
Amerikanisierung des Dramas und Dramatisierung Amerikas – Americanisation of Drama and Dramatisation of America (1985) Marriage Studies by Hans Helmcke, contributions by Horst Immel and Manfred Siebald.
"Salt of the Earth." Article in A Dictionary of Biblical Tradition in English Literature. David Lyle Jeffrey, general editor. Grand Rapids: W.B. Eerdmans, 1992. ISBN0-8028-3634-8.
