Unfortunately, I could only enjoy it on Saturday, from that second two-day edition of the Walden Festival in Brussels' Leopoldpark. And yet it was a delightful afternoon. And perhaps the afternoon with the most exotic music of the event although it opened with a wonderful classic. Nothing more and nothing less than Ein kleine Nachtmusik. And that was brought by the Boho Strings. Don't look too far: an ensemble from, well yes, BOrger HOut.... with David Ramael as artistic director. Fresh appearance in shirtsleeves on this warm summer evening and anything but a stiff stick, but an enterprising, socially engaged and communicative conductor. And with musicians as diverse as Borgerhout is. The music sounds, like so much Mozart, oh so sunny. It gets the festival off to a great start.
We also hear that diversity in the music of Algerian composer Salim Dada. Heavier handed than Mozart but a Sinfonietta written especially for this occasion, a world premiere, beautiful melodious contemporary work with an Arabic tint just like the few miniatures that followed and served with a clearly Mediterranean to even Balkan tone.
Walden, the festival naturally takes its name from that Klara broadcast on the slowest day of the week, the Sunday programme of music curator Katleen van Bavel. Which in turn must be a reference to that cult book by American writer and nature observer Thoreau. A book that perhaps few music lovers have read, but whose reputation is well enough known. That "life in the woods" life is quite different from this life here on this sun-drenched grass field: "classical sur l'herbe". There is peace, perhaps a bit too much as not many people. The whole has a mini-Middelheim character, so it seems. Especially when the trio of Rabih Abou Khahil takes the stage, the Lebanese oud player who also learned to embrace jazz together with American percussionist Jarrod Cagwin. And the latter then chose all sorts of drum techniques and instruments from Indian, Turkish, Persian and other traditions. Together with Polish jazz violinist Mateusz Smoczynski this was again a discovery at that fraying edge of exotic world music, winding between many forms of East and West.
The icing on the cake was undoubtedly the Orchestre des Jeunes de la Méditerranée. Young people from around the Mediterranean basin, brought together by the tireless Fabrizio Cassol. Since 2015 he has been recruiting them from all sides of that "Odyssey" and preparing them, first for the Medina Session at the Festival of Aix-en-Provence and now for the Waldenfestival. It becomes a turbulent mixture of improvisation and composition. Astounding, without a doubt. Modest as he is, Cassol did not stand on the podium but only behind the conductor's desk while his young musicians unleashed all their devilish sounds and their angelic voices in a spellbinding fanfare of Southern rhythms and tones on an countless variety of instruments. And anyone who sees Fabrizio Cassol at work should not be surprised that the impressive soprano Claron McFadden is also nearby. A truly thrilling performance. Then you no longer ask yourself what East and West is, you let that melting pot wash over you warmly and thoroughly enjoy that Southern breeze.
WHAT: Walden Festival
WHERE: Leopoldpark, Brussels
WHEN: Saturday 16 July 2022
WHO: Boho Strings, conducted by David Ramael
Rabih Abou-Khalil Trio, Orchestre des Jeunes de la Méditterranée conducted by Fabrizio Cassol and including soprano Claron McFadden.