For the Leiden Chamber Choir, the autumn of 2024 was marked by a cultural exchange with mixed vocal ensemble Florilegium from Leuven. To this end, we drew from the rich choral tradition of both cities and brought to sound the cultural backgrounds of our conductors.
Polyphonic music from the Low Countries musically connects Leiden and Leuven. Where Leiden has the well-known Leiden Choir Books has, Leuven has the Septiesme livre des chansons à quatre parties, a then very popular choir book published by the Leuven music printer and publisher Phalesius.
The polyphonic choral music from these 16th-century compilations came out beautifully in the Hooglandse Kerk in Leiden and the auditorium of the Maria Theresiacollege in Leuven, where our concerts took place.
In addition, we sang choral music from Norway, where the Leuven conductor is from, and from Indonesia, the homeland of our own conductor. Sometimes both choirs sang together, sometimes separately. Thus we provided a varied and fascinating concert with a program that bridged five centuries and connected East and West.
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