Following last year’s great success, Ensemble Klang and organist Geerten van de Wetering return to the Waalse Kerk on July 3 for an atmospheric French summer evening. With the brand-new program Tour de France!, they build upon a fresh tradition: an annual summer concert with a French atmosphere, perfectly attuned to warm temperatures.
The concert offers a unique crossover in which the contemporary instrumentation of Ensemble Klang – saxophones, trombone, guitar, percussion, and piano – merges with the organ. Organist Geerten van de Wetering: “The concert centered on Erik Satie last year was so well received that we want to make a tradition of it. Not too heavy fare, but music that suits the summer. The beautiful French Cavaillé-Coll organ in the Walloon Church is, of course, perfectly suited for this. We already have the ideas ready for the coming years!”
Cycling rhythms and French lyricism
The program Tour de France! bridges the gap between the lyricism of French music from the fin de siècle and the driving minimalism of composers such as Philip Glass and Tom Johnson. Pete Harden, artistic director of Ensemble Klang, explains the link to the race: “The repetitive, incessant rhythms of cycling form a beautiful contrast with the lush French countryside. The evening includes, among others, the sublime melodies of Ernest Chausson – who tragically lost his life in a cycling accident – and works for organ by Tailleferre and Chaminade. Claude Debussy’s impressive La cathédrale engloutie will also be performed.”
Nod to Spain and harbinger of minimalism
Because the real Tour de France starts this year with a Grand Départ in Barcelona, the concert will have a Spanish touch. The evening concludes with one of the most recognizable works of classical music: the famous Bolero by Maurice Ravel, given a brand-new arrangement especially for this ensemble.
Harden: “The swirling repetitions in the Bolero are undoubtedly a harbinger of the minimalism that would emerge later in the twentieth century. It is the perfect, rousing conclusion to a dreamy summer evening.”
Tickets and drinks
Tickets for this Tour de France on July 3 from 8:15 PM can be ordered via https://podium21.nl/ . After the concert, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy a drink.
Images: Schaapjesfabriek
