After careful consideration, the Festival organization has decided to transform this year's fourteenth edition of the International Gregorian Festival of Watou into a two-day 'In Memoriam' edition as a tribute to the lifework of Bernard Deheegher. Following his deeply regretted passing on 13 October 2021, this will be a special edition, the first without founder and driving force Bernard Deheegher at the helm.
On 25 and 26 May, eight outstanding Gregorian schola's and ensembles from Europe and Asia will meet in the West Flemish border village Watou. All concerts and liturgical celebrations will take place in the Sint-Bavokerk. The quality of the participating choirs and ensembles remains consistently high and professional. The Festival remains the most important forum in the world for this music genre.
Theme: "From silence to restrained joy"
The theme of this In Memoriam edition of the Festival is "From silence to restrained joy". With this we wish to explicitly commemorate our driving force Bernard. The participating ensembles and the many visitors will be able to fully rediscover the tranquility of the border village Watou. Furthermore, we also wish to convey a restrained joy, out of gratitude, because we were able to realize this two-day event with the support of many, and to further stimulate the Gregorian revival, for which Bernard has always strived.
The enthusiasm of the ensembles and their willingness to participate is particularly great, and testifies to both the importance and artistic impact of the Festival in the field of Gregorian chant. The participants have indeed developed a close bond with the Festival, and built a deep friendship with Bernard. The compilation of a concert program around the described theme proceeded in harmony, precisely because of the connection they shared with Bernard.
Thus Vox Clamantis will fill its concert program with a musical ode to Mary. Pure and powerful and at the same time calming and comforting. Graces & Voices will then provide substance through the message "SPES MEA". We all need hope, the world now, more than ever, needs hope. One of the messages Bernard wanted to convey through the Festival was to let people discover that Gregorian chant can be a source of hope.
New to this fourteenth festival edition is the participation of the wind orchestra "De Speelschare", which will engage in dialogue with the Choeur Grégorien de Paris during the opening concert. The orchestra will, through a self-selected repertoire, pay a fitting musical tribute to Bernard in its own way.
Alongside the concerts, during the three liturgical celebrations, Gregorian chant in its natural setting as the praise of God comes fully into its own. Traditionally, a balance is offered between eucharist and office. A complete overview can be found in the festival program. All schola's provide a strong musical contribution within the liturgy. Furthermore, no one remains unmoved during the closing Vespers of the Festival, on Thursday 26 May, which is sung by all choirs in unison, one in heart and one in soul.