"French flair, Belgian pride and a touch of Hollywood with blockbuster John Williams", that's roughly how Klara staff member Clara De Decker described the concert that De Gidsen, conducted by Commandant-Kapelmeester Yves Segers, gave at the Aarschot Cultural Centre 'Het Gasthuis' (which dates back to 1288).
It was the 20th Peterschapsconcert of the 6 Group Communication and Information Systems (CIS). Major Jef Moonen, Korpscommandant, proudly announced that this year's proceeds were intended for the Koninklijke Harmonie Oud-Strijders, which has kept the memory of our history alive for 80 years. True to military tradition, catchy national anthems and marches framed a programme bursting with musical highlights.
It would have been difficult to find a more fitting Overture than that from the opera 'Gwendoline' by Emmanuel Chabrier. It was both a 'révérence' to Mayor Gwendolyn Rutten and a foretaste of the French repertoire that awaited. And it was written for the orchestra perfectly. From a somewhat muddled beginning, the composer conjured up a broad melody, culminating in a stately finale, worthy of a Royal Music Chapel. 'Flanders Overture' by Dirk Brossé sounded quite different: at times mysterious and unpredictable, then again characterful and resolute, with a subtle reference to our Lion at the end. Back on the French track, with the highlight of the evening, the solo performance.
Trombone
Conductor Yves Segers makes it a point of honour to give soloists from his own region a voice. After oboist Bram Nolf, soprano Anneke Luyten and saxophonist Pieter Pellens, he brought the evening's soloist from his own ranks: Tommy Verschoore, first soloist and leader of the four trombonists. Student of Ben Haemhouts in Bamberg and Ivo Meylemans in Amsterdam, he traded the Opéra Royal de Wallonie in 2006 for De Gidsen. He is a brass teacher at the Meise Academy and active in the Belgian Brass Ensemble, in the brass quintet Brassery and in the music collective Cargo Mas by Sam Vloemans.
Tommy Verschoore soloed in two contrasting compositions. The 'Cavatine' by Camille Saint-Saëns gave him the opportunity to show a melodiousness that few know. The well-known melodies of Saint-Saëns such as 'The Swan' and 'Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix' received a surprising counterpart in the warm trombone-song.
Luxembourg
Completely new was the 'Concertino for trombone' by the present Georges Sadeler. Always witty, Clara De Decker called the work "a test for trombone and lungs". It is a spirited tour de force, full of rhythmic patterns, unexpected effects and spectacular challenges for the percussion section. Georges Sadeler is a 37-year-old Luxembourger. His work has already been performed in Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, France, Portugal, Italy, Bulgaria, Japan, Canada and the US.
But the "peak of his career", as he puts it himself, came in 2023, when he was selected to write a musical piece for the birthday of Grand Duke Henri. That was the first step towards the Court. Because two years later, the choice fell on Georges Sadeler to write a work for the transfer of power to Grand Duke Guillaume, which took place on 3 October 2025. It was one of seven contenders. He worked for well over half a year on the 'Marche du Grand-Duc Guillaume' and is very proud of it. "I wanted to create a completely new melody that sticks, with a nod to the Luxembourg national anthem" he said.
We are happy to believe that Georges Sadeler finds much of his inspiration during forest walks. He hums them to record and be able to use later. A bit like Bartók did, so... Thank yous, flowers, gifts back and forth, rhythmic applause, a tasted encore and a convivial reception confirmed the popularity this well-oiled orchestra enjoys in Aarschot.