Flanders Boys Choir and Mannenkoor Terpander singing 'Van Knaap Tot Man' at Amuz
A small-scale initiative was the concert organized by Koorlink with the Flanders Boys Choir and the Mannenkoor Terpander at Amuz (Antwerpen). The intention was to build a bridge from boys' choir to men's choir and to highlight how important it is that singing in choir continues for boys and men.It is actually a crisis in the choral world despite the fact that it seems to flourish more than ever. There are choirs, old and new, and there are singing children, young people and adults, but increasingly it becomes a situation with a shortage of, or even no voices from boyhood to manhood.
What is happening that boys and men come together less and less in groups to sing artistically? We see them by the thousands together at sports events and mass pop concerts where they loudly support in rather wild collective songs. The raw instinct is then in command, no refinement possible at such events. In itself that may all be well and good, but where has the sense of beauty gone? What is happening that so few boys and men still actively sing in choirs? Where is the time of the boys' choirs? Was there a school and parish without one? Was there any organization of whatever political color that didn't have a choir that sang the party song and whether or not protest songs in a refined, uplifting manner?
There was very much singing, beautiful singing. Children learned that already in kindergarten. The singing of beautiful folk songs at school was already an important driving force. Children who didn't sing out of tune were encouraged, motivated to go sing in school choir and/or parish choir, whether it was a boys', girls' or mixed choir. Many would later end up in adult choirs and even build professional musical careers.
Flanders was a leader in that respect. What is happening that beautiful singing together seems to be something ridiculous, unnecessary, pointless? Not really something to learn anymore, to listen to? The media and education are absent, religious practice has collapsed, taking away the encouragement from there as well. There must be a way to get children singing again, to teach them to listen again to the beauty of singing together, to bring something beautiful, to unite harmony and melody in song and to let them enjoy it on stage for an audience of more than parents, grandparents, family and friends?
While there is life, there is hope. There is still something like the Flanders Boys Choir, almost the very last boys' choir in Flanders. It LIVES, it SINGS! You see the boys enjoying themselves, doing their best to really do it well and if possible even better than well. They radiate it. Let these boys, soon to be men, help spread the message that singing in a choir, as a boy and as a man, is nothing foolish, but rather something fulfilling.
The concert 'Van Knaap tot Man'
The Flanders Boys Choir started with a shorter program. While the Mannenkoor Terpander focused broadly on 'the mother', the boys' choir chose a mixed program exclusively by Flemish composers through the centuries. From Adriaan Willaert (1490-1562) to Joost Termont (°1962) with Jakob Arcadelt (1507-1568), Camil Van Hulse (1897-1988) and Frank Nuyts (°1957) in between.
Conductor Dieter Van Handenhoven, who has led the choir and kept it very much alive and vibrant for more than 30 years, is perhaps the necessary bright spot in this whole story to rekindle the fire. Isn't it better to sing together a bit more instead of wasting time for hours on social networks?
'Ons Moeder' was celebrated in song under the direction of the always motivating and inspiring conductor Koen Vits. With them his singing men traveled along Mother Earth of the Native Americans (though one increasingly speaks of 'Native Americans'). Mother Maria was worshipped with three beautiful songs and Ons Moeder was placed in musical flowers with a very beautiful succession of songs that honor 'the mother'.
When will this Koorlink initiative become a large festival again of, among others, boys' choirs and men's choirs? ...