France and Belgium Tour Travelogue Two
Dear Friends,
The city of Brussels, Belgium is a bustling metropolis of international significance, housing the capital of the European Union and the headquarters of NATO, among many other important offices. When the Georgia Boy Choir rolled in to town at about noon on Tuesday, the sky was overcast with steel-gray clouds, but there was no rain. Before going in to the cathedral for their afternoon concert, they enjoyed a picnic lunch under the trees in a small park nearby.
A large church, built in the French Gothic style, the Brussels Cathedral, dedicated to Saints Michael and Gudula has more clear windows (less stained glass) than many others, allowing more light to reach the interior. It has a warm and welcoming atmosphere, which was greatly enhanced when the boys and young men from Georgia filled it with their exquisite sound. Since it was a somewhat less formal afternoon concert, they performed in a more casual than usual attire, but always with the same exacting precision and care to their singing. The sizable audience who had gathered was delighted as the Choir progressed through its impressive program.
Click here to see a video of the Georgia Boy Choir singing the “Alleluia Kanon,” K. 553, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels, Belgium.
Following their concert, the boys and young men explored the city center and its grand squares and famous statuary, and enjoyed sampling authentic Belgian Fries, Belgian Waffles, and, of course, Belgian Chocolate.
The city of Sint-Niklaas, Belgium is a gem of a small town, conveniently located more or less equidistant from several larger, more famous cities. The jewel of Sint-Niklaas is the Flanders Boys Choir, which is headquartered there. The choristers of the Flanders Boys Choir had graciously agreed to host their counterparts from Georgia in their homes for the next several days, serving as the “home base” for the Choir’s day trips for concerts throughout the region.
The next morning, boys and young men from Georgia made the short drive to the port city of Antwerp. They had a wonderful time exploring the many shops and restaurants they found there. The center attraction is the magnificent Cathedral of Our Lady, which overlooks the town. Upon entering this remarkable edifice, one is immediately struck by the phenomenal collection of art that it contains, particularly the four large paintings by Peter Paul Rubens. Among the entourage of those caring for the choristers as they wend their way through France and Belgium is Mrs. Hannah White who is an art historian and teacher. The boys paid rapt attention as she told them about Rubens and especially what to look for in these masterpieces. This brought the art to life for them and helped them realize even more the significance that the art of their own singing would soon add to the beauty of the cathedral.
The presenters of the evening concert had decided to make it an exclusive, invitation-only event for the “Friends of the Cathedral.” Those lucky enough to have made the invitation list gathered with eager anticipation and were seated in the centuries-old, hand-carved, wooden stalls in the “Quire.” Some extra seats had been added in the chancel. When the Georgia Boy Choir took its place, they stood on the stairs of the altar with their backs to the nave, making it a rather intimate affair. When they began to sing, those assembled soon realized how truly fortunate they were. The young singers, encouraged by the nearly perfect acoustics rose to the occasion and gave one of their best performances ever. The audience sat mesmerized, unwilling to break the spell that had been cast upon them by the transcendence of the experience.
Click here to watch a video of the Georgia Boy Choir singing “Pater Noster” (Our Father) by Igor Stravinsky in the Antwerp Cathedral.
After the final song, when the applause had finally died down, the priest who had introduced the concert had this to say:
“A thing of beauty is a joy forever! And we at Antwerp, we tend to believe we have beautiful cathedral and it’s our mission to enjoy this beauty and to share with people from all over the world. But, we are also very aware of the fact that earthly beauty is never complete, and that even this magnificent space is constantly longing for more beauty. I believe she has been waiting 500 years now to be filled with the angelic sound of the Georgia Boy Choir! We are lucky, aren’t we, that we are here to witness it! I just hope boys, and men, that you realize that you’re special and that what you do is special. You bring beauty into the world and for us, tonight, that is a joy forever!
Thank you so much!”
- Vicar Bart Paepen, Antwerp Cathedral, Belgium
Until next time,
The Georgia Boy Choir 2018 France and Belgium Tour Team