Manfred Karduck

Born 1939 in Wegberg. Priest since 1966. Soon after he came to christian center Haus Overbach near Jülich, where he was preacher and teacher and where he founded Der Overbacher Jugendchor and an orchestra. With the rhythm based repertoire of his christian groups he was one of the very first german christian music directors, who brought drums into church service. He founded the "Kreis Junger Missionare", a network of young priests who tried to reform traditional church music. The "Kreis Junger Missionare" also gave Karducks label KIM its name, on which he released nine records with the Overbacher Jugendchor between 1969 and 1984. He managed to get musicians like Jerry Van Rooyen or Peter Herbolzheimer playing for the early releases of his choir. He studied music in 1971 and also was music teacher thereafter. He retired from his teacher job in 2003, but stayed director of Haus Overbach, which he was from 1991 to 2011.