Both members worked a lot in other projects in the years before. Conny played the violin for more than ten years and performed in many orchestras. She also sang in some classical choruses and as a soloist, and is familiar with baroque and romantic compositions like G.F. Handel, E. Grieg or Pergolesi.
Olaf was in his childhood a member of the "Stadtsingechor Halle", the oldest chorus of the world. Later, he played in many musical projects and bands, and also composed for TV. He studied musicology and philosophy.
In 1994 the second album, "Porta VIII" (Hyperium), was released. It has a concept based on the fairy tale "Ariadne et Barbe Bleue" by Maurice Maeterlinck, but "Porta VIII" is a continuation of the original fairy tale. This album too was selling more than 10 000 copies worldwide and climbed the Mexican charts.
Since 1997 there was a new line-up. Conny left sToa to follow her classical career, and the new singer was Antje Buchheiser. Buchheiser had been playing violin for more than eleven years, and had been singing in the classical chorus "Hallenser Madrigalisten". She performed a lot in classical music, in, among others, Germany, Japan and Cuba.
Another new member since 1996 was Christiane Fischer. She plays cello and is singing the second voice at live concerts. sToa signed to the German publisher Alster Musikverlag. In 1997 the band left their old label Hyperium for various reasons.
sToa performed sporadically at special places or events. They played for example at the Wave-Gotik-Treffen in a one hundred years old and eighty metres high monument in front of more than 1 000 people, at the “Zeche Carl” in Essen, in the Netherlands and several times in Mexico (inter alia with the Goethe-Institut).
In 2001 they finished their album "Zal". It was released worldwide, but first in Mexico at "Samadhi Musik". sToa signed to the German label "Alice in ...", where they released "Zal" for the rest of the world and re-released "Urthona" and "Porta VIII". The singer on "Zal" was Antje Buchheiser.
In 2008 sToa returned with international line-up. The new album "Silmand" was released on September 26th. "Silmand" means soul month. With it the month September is titled in an almost forgotten German dialect. The female voices on the album belong to sToa's new main-singer Mandy Bernhardt and the Australian multi-instrumentalist Louisa John-Krol. Furthermore, the Dutchman Pieter Nooten (Ex-Clan of Xymox) could be engaged as well as the Leipzig-based Ralf Jehnert (Love is Colder than Death). One of the songs on "Silmand" was already used as film score ("Tacitum"). The title of the song "Hanuz Nist" comes from the Persian lyrics written by Hassan Dehlawi at the 14th century.
Soft Snow
sToa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I ask'd the soft snow with me to play...
She play'd and she melted in all her prime,
And the winter call'd it a dreadfull crime.
(William Blake)
The lyrics of Soft Snow by sToa are inspired by a poem written by William Blake. The first two lines of the song describe a person walking outside on a snowy day and asking the snow to play with them. It seems like the person is feeling lonely and wants to find some companionship in the quiet and peaceful winter landscape. The words "soft snow" can be interpreted as a metaphor for something gentle, delicate, and pure, something that embodies the essence of winter and all its beauty.
The next two lines of the poem describe the snow melting as it played with the person. This could be seen as a symbol of fleeting moments, transient experiences that are beautiful but short-lived. Finally, the last two lines refer to winter calling the melting snow a "dreadful crime", suggesting that the beauty and fragility of snow are not appreciated by everyone.
Overall, the lyrics of Soft Snow express a longing for beauty and companionship in a cold and harsh world. The snow is seen as a source of comfort and joy, but also as something that can be easily destroyed by the forces of nature.
Line by Line Meaning
I walked abroad in a snowy day
I ventured outside on a winter day when the snow was falling
I ask'd the soft snow with me to play...
I interacted with the snow, hoping to engage it in some playful activity
She play'd and she melted in all her prime,
The snow responded to my playful invitation and was at its best, but began to melt away
And the winter call'd it a dreadfull crime.
The season of winter saw the melting of the snow as a terrible offense or misfortune
Contributed by Elizabeth D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.