Royal Zangvereniging Breda's Mannenkoor performs on 30 April at 3 pm in the Sint-Janskerk in Mechelen
During April and May, music lovers in Mechelen are spoiled for choice. There is not only the spring edition of the Festival van Vlaanderen/Mechelen with adventurous and intimate concerts. At the invitation of Theo De Jongh, the Royal Zangvereniging Breda's Mannenkoor, 80 members strong, will perform on 30 April in the magnificent setting of the Sint-Janskerk. One of the Netherlands' finest classical male choirs with a unique sound colour...
Finally! These plans had been in the works for some time. Before corona, there was the intention to invite Breda's Mannenkoor to organize a concert together with the Mechelen choir Scala Vocale, conducted by Lode Tooten, in the St.-Romboutskathedraal. Those plans were disrupted. But the postponement did not mean cancellation. Klassiek Centraal had a brief conversation with the enthusiastic chairman of Breda's male choir: Theo Baert, who upon closer acquaintance turns out to be a Belgian.
-Not an 'American in Paris' but a 'Belgian in Breda'!
T.Baert: Ten years ago we moved to Breda. A neighbour invited me to a concert by Breda's Mannenkoor. I was sold immediately. That's how the ball started rolling.
-May we inquire into the history of the Royal Zangvereniging Breda's Mannenkoor.
Breda's Mannenkoor was founded in 1865, so it has existed for almost 160 years and can boast an honourable track record. It was founded by a brewing family. Practically all employees of the brewery were choir members at the time. What was originally a choir for pleasure and entertainment. Practice has deepened over the years. The choir became more professional. It had the necessary means, thanks to the brewing family, to attract good conductors and accompanists with extensive and solid knowledge of the classical repertoire. The musical level rose over the years and gradually, large projects were tackled with love and ambition. Most choirs have to fight to make ends meet. We have always been in a privileged position. To this day we are still a wealthy choir.
-A choir of stature.
Certainly. The number of members varied over the years from 60, to 70 to 110 men. Currently the choir has 95 active members.
-The Netherlands has several large male choirs. Is there an explanation for this?
Dutch people love to socialize, and getting together and singing together is highly valued. This was also encouraged by the Protestant church. Much more singing together takes place in Protestant worship than in Catholic church services. Singing together was and is much more promoted in the Netherlands than in Belgium. Other valuable aspects are: the atmosphere, the mentality, the repertoire.... Mind you: in Flanders there are also quite a few choirs of a very good standard.
-A choir of such size cannot sing everything. You must draw from the great works such as those by Beethoven and Bach?
In our repertoire we have more than 200 pieces. That ranges from Beethoven to Brahms, Richter, Bach, Mozart. Not all of this music was originally written for male choir but has been adapted through arrangements. Then we move to the modern repertoire with Simon & Garfunkel, Leonard Cohen and special arrangements are also created for that.
-How is the composition of the singing voices?
We have four singing groups: first and second tenors, and then baritones and basses. Each singing group is evenly divided among twenty to twenty-five singers. The sound the choir produces is very robust, deep, warm, multi-part sound. When the choir gives a concert, something happens. Some 100 men strong, it's quite an impressive spectacle in itself and then that incredible sound... It leaves no one unmoved!
-Sound chemistry!
You could describe it that way. They immerse the audience in an addictive sound world. It's like floating on the breath of time.
-How did Theo De Jongh, himself an accomplished singer and pianist, end up with you?
His roots are in Breda. He also sings in a choir himself and choirs know each other. They look for opportunities to organize something together. The plans to give a concert together in the Sint-Rombautskathedraal, but corona decided otherwise. For quite a few larger choirs in the Netherlands, the pandemic was the final blow. They fell apart. Fortunately, Breda's Mannenkoor is not in that doomsday scenario. After corona we even gained a number of new members.
-What is the age composition of the choir?
You don't find young singers with us. The average age hovers around sixty-five to seventy years old. This is because forty and fifty-year-olds are so busy with their jobs and raising children. You must remember that we give about ten concerts a year, which requires a lot of rehearsal time so that we can display finesse.
-Concerts in the Netherlands itself, or also abroad?
We have a rich history of travelling. For example, we once sang in Rome during a mass conducted by the Pope.
-So you already have impressive credentials!
Certainly. At one point Queen Beatrix came to Breda for an inauguration. We were chosen for the musical accompaniment. Automatically we received the title 'Royal' and we are quite proud of that.
-Performing abroad with so many choir members is like a small migration!
Indeed, one bus is not enough to get to Mechelen, we need two double-deckers. The partners come along too and what is called a 'fanclub'. In total we're coming to Mechelen with 170 people. We're making it a nice day out. With a few guides we'll first explore Mechelen. Then there's the concentration for the concert and giving it everything. After that we'll taste Mechelen specialities from a culinary perspective.
-Can you already give us a hint about the programme?
The choir brings about 15 works that cover all directions and dimensions of, among others, Beethoven, Mozart, Wagner, Cherubini, Schubert, Bernstein, Leonard Cohen, Simon & Garfunkel… under the direction of conductor Hans de Wit. At the piano: André Telderman; organ: Tom van der Plas; soloists: tenors Nico Bolmer and Henk van der Maaten.
Tickets: € 18, to order via https://bredaasmannenkoor.nl/
or via https://apps.ticketmatic.com/widgets/mechelen/flow/uit?event=558273273017&l=nl#!/addticket
or the QR code on the poster.