About two months from now, on August 21, Laus Polyphoniae 2026 begins: the annual grand celebration of early music in Flanders. This year's theme is Polyphonic Europe circa 1600. In three installments, I will take you through the program, here and there with a personal touch.
Sunday: a day of rest that isn't quite one
After the overwhelming Saturday, Sunday seems to announce itself somewhat more quietly, with "only" three concerts on the program. That almost sounds like a vacation, though the seasoned festival-goer knows better by now.You can start the afternoon with a film about Lassus, which is actually a particularly good idea: sitting in soft red velvet for a while, getting away from it all, and especially pretending that you're not in the middle of a multi-day musical endurance test.
But even on this more subdued day, a figure immediately appears who puts any form of rest into perspective: Gesualdo. Everyone knows his story more or less, whether in a somewhat romanticized form or not. I personally came to know him best during my cathedral choir days, where his life story was told with considerable drama. Since then, he has remained in my mind as a kind of Baroque rockstar: brilliant, unpredictable, and, let's be honest, not entirely free from dark sides.
You can hear that duality in his music too, which sounds as often clear and transparent as it suddenly takes an unexpected, almost literally unsettling turn. It is music that carries you along while simultaneously making you slightly uncomfortable, as if you're not entirely sure where it wants to go — and that is precisely where its appeal lies.
The day concludes in Sint-Andrieskerk with music by Claude Le Jeune, performed by the Huelgas Ensemble. That is one of those combinations where one stops asking questions and simply sits down and listens, confident that it will be good, very good indeed.
Monday: a weekday like no other
While Monday usually stands for a hesitant restart of the work week, Laus Polyphoniae seems to give it an entirely different meaning. Today too, three concerts are scheduled, and the tempo is maintained effortlessly (or relentlessly).
The day begins with a program by Transport Public, a name you'd best Google with some caution, unless you happen to have an interest in timetables and tramway networks. The ensemble performs music by Richard Dering, a composer with a strong Antwerp connection. Which immediately evokes a time when Antwerp and its cathedral formed the center of the Euro
pean music world, where composers and styles met each other — an idea that doesn't always seem obvious today.
In the evening, Paul O'Dette takes over, and that is, without exaggeration, one of the great names in the world of early music. With his lute, he opens a sound universe that is both intimate and impressive, and this time he brings music from Central Europe, a region that in this repertoire and for the general public often remains somewhat underexposed.
The day ends with the ensemble Comet Musicke and a program around madrigals. Moreover, you get another chance here to hear instruments such as the (bass) serpent or sackbut, which is quite an experience in itself, if only because the instrument looks visually almost as intriguing as it sounds.
Tuesday: the rhythm has set in
By Tuesday, you have presumably found your festival rhythm, which means you move from concert to concert without too much thought and the time of day has only relative meaning.
The Officium Ensemble brings Portuguese polyphony, and that is immediately a good opportunity to correct a often-heard misconception. Because Portugal and Spain are geographically so closely connected, their musical traditions are sometimes lumped together, but those who listen carefully will soon hear that Portuguese polyphony has its own sound color and sensitivity that clearly distinguishes it from its Spanish counterpart.
In Sint-Augustinus, a special program follows that is situated in the prince-bishopric of Liège around 1600. The ensemble InAlto brings music that lies somewhere between French and German influences, resulting in a surprising and eclectic whole that perfectly reflects the cultural crossroads of that time.
Earlier in the day, also in the Augustine Church, Près de votre oreille provides a more intimate experience. Their name, literally "close to your ear," proves to be no idle promise, for their way of making music creates a proximity that you rarely experience so directly in a concert hall.
Wednesday: halfway and still surprised
Wednesday, August 26, brings us halfway through the festival, a moment when some fatigue might quietly creep in, were it not that the program offers enough stimuli again to keep attention sharp.
In the evening, Ensemble Irini takes the stage, a group that focuses on a cappella music and effortlessly connects different time periods with each other. Their program combines work by Giovanni Gabrieli, one of my personal favorites and a composer who forms a bridge to the Baroque, with Byzantine music. On paper, that may seem an unexpected combination, but those who have ever stood in the San Marco in Venice feel intuitively that these worlds lie closer together than you might suspect at first glance.
During the day, a lecture by historian Hans Mulder offers a welcome supplement, as it provides context for the world in which this music was created. How did people live around 1600, what drove them, and what ideas shaped their view of the world? These are questions that can only enrich the music we hear this week.
And then there is Dowland, performed by Scherzi Musicali, who takes us into a more introspective, almost melancholic atmosphere. His music has the special quality of being both simple and profound, accessible without ever becoming banal. I freely admit that I have used his work myself more than once in an educational context — which usually means it is both grateful material and somewhat indestructible — but I have no doubt that it will sound here in a performance of exceptional quality.
Three more beautiful days to go. Will you join us?
To be continued!
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