During the vacation I experienced something special in Leuven, hometown of Hendrik Vanden Abeele, artistic director of Psallentes. You could attend free mini-concerts from his early music ensemble Psallentes. Not in a concert hall, but on the street. 'Pop-up', as is the case with so many things these days.
In the newly renovated and traffic-free Mechelsestraat in the bakery of De Broodenier. That well-known Leuven baker, specialized in sourdough bread, was on vacation for a while. Hendrik Vanden Abeele set up his 'Psallentes Jukebox' in the bakery. Why exactly here?
Hendrik Vanden Abeele: "Sourdough is to bread what Gregorian and related polyphony is to early music. Passed down through generations, and it takes craftsmanship to deliver a top product." A bold statement, but the choir director does the same with his top product, with that jukebox, namely his singers. You didn't have to put money in it, just send an email. And your half-hour mini-concert was reserved, for a maximum of four people (your bubble or not) per time slot.
Gregorian and polyphony
For a long time the conductor has wanted to bring his music, Gregorian and polyphony, closer to the listener. And trying something new is always fun. For example by stationing his choir members somewhere in a busy or less busy shopping street of the city and, as it were, opening the door. The sounds are allowed to mingle with street noises of passersby. No problem, as long as the singers sound perfectly pure. And they did.
Once you had your reservation in hand, you came by at the agreed time. The conductor himself welcomed you on the doorstep of the shop and explained the procedure. You were handed a sheet with 20 'tunes' and you could make your choice, within the time limit of your concert. You choose from pieces of Salve Regina, bits of Magnificat by Clemens non Papa, a canon by birthday boy Josquin des Prez (1450-1521), little pieces from the Mechelen beguinage, and so on.
We were able to pick three. We chose a typically Gregorian, homophonic and vertically composed Kyrie from a 14th-century anonymous Missa, In Principio, the closing hymn from Hildegard Von Bingen's Ordo virtutum, a moral play about virtues, and Suster, a work composed by the conductor himself to a text by Ruusbroec, of whom no music is known. Before we were instructed what we were allowed to sing along with. Then six singers appeared behind the bakery counter (albeit with face masks) and began under the leadership of the choir director on 'our' little concert. Still a special experience.
Future plans cost money
You received a small gift in an envelope upon departure. What was inside? A voucher for when the baker reopens. You can use it to pick up a free sourdough bread, "to extend the aftertaste of that speed date with Psallentes a little longer" and another voucher to buy their latest cd (music from the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat) at a friends' price. But also a request to become a 'Psallentes Centimeter'. That costs 11 cents a day. For €40 per year you are then a donor.
Speaking of support, for his project Vanden Abeele received subsidies from the city of Leuven and via the cultural activities premium from the Flemish government, but he is trying to repeat this type of formula in the future and, above all, to expand it. "Ideally we would be present in a city for a week in an empty building, for example, and serve the passerby from there, in the broadest sense of the word."
Hendrik Vanden Abeele is preparing a thoroughly detailed file to submit for the next subsidy round. "We'll see if we can bring in new money for that 2023 period, because without money this all remains just a vague dream." In the meantime, there are still real concerts to come, in Tongeren, Liège and Utrecht. Psallentes is undoubtedly productive with music in the city, even without the jukebox!
- WHAT: Psallentes Jukebox
- WHO: Psallentes Ensemble led by Hendrik Vanden Abeele
- WHERE: De Broodenier, Mechelsestraat 75, 3000 Leuven
- WHEN: Saturday 14 August 2021 (last chance on 28 August, register via hendrik.vda@me.com)
