20 years Vlaams Radiokoor

Michael Praetorius

Curious about the path that led him here, we went back in time – to a point when seems to have been decisive: a school friend persuaded Alain as a young teenager to join the Antwerp Cathedral Choir. A new world opened up for him, one that until then he had known only from a few classical music records belonging to his mother. ‘I remember the first concert as if it were yesterday. We sang a work for triple choir by the German Baroque composer Michael Praetorius in the cathedral of Cologne. I didn’t sing a single note in the entire concert, I was in such awe. I decided there and then to study music. Halfway through my fourth year of secondary school, I stopped in order to spend the remaining months of the school year preparing for my entrance exam.’

Musical Itch

There were some detours along the way – including a stint at a restaurant – but even then, a fortune smiled at him. ‘I interrupted my studies at the conservatory to take over my parents’ restaurant, but the music bug kept on nibbling. And so I took private lessons in counterpoint and composition from Alain Craens. One day, he informed me that the Ghent Opera (now Opera Ballet Vlaanderen) was looking for a librarian. I tried my luck – and was successful. After a month-long contract, a permanent position opened up at the Flemish Radio Orchestra and Choir (now the Brussels Philharmonic). I got that job as well. After a year and a half, the orchestra manager at the time, Dries Sel, asked me if I would be willing to take on the artistic coordination of the choir. And that got the ball rolling.’

Time for a Chat

The Flemish Radio Choir had just split off from the broadcaster and was taking on a challenging task: to reshape the choir from a studio ensemble into a fully fledged concert choir. Right from the first concert, Alain saw the potential: ‘There stood a professional choir on stage, with singers who did their job with a great deal of pride, and focused on nothing less than top quality. They made no compromises.’

There was no written guide, but openness and dialogue seemed crucial: ‘I have always found it important to listen to singers and take them seriously. After rehearsals or concerts, I always took the time for a brief conversation. This helped grow trust, and I could push the boundaries and try new things.

flexibility

One of the most radical but also the most important reforms was the abolition of the system of 24 full-time singers. 'We now work with both full-time and part-time positions, which means that we can adjust the arrangement flexibly to each production. This opens up opportunities in programming and also makes it more attractive to organisers.’

fuel

Flexibility is now one of the main strengths of the Flemish Radio Choir. In terms of repertoire, but also in sound. A sound that Alain says he would recognise from among a thousand choirs, at least if under a conductor with whom the choir had previously worked. ‘I have attended more than a thousand concerts by the choir – that is what fuelled me. I still remember each concert. It may sound strange, but every production was a step forward, and therefore indispensable in the choir’s trajectory to date. The conductors also play a key role in this regard. Depending on who was conducting, it sometimes sounded as if you were listening to a completely different choir. Every chief conductor had a distinctive approach: Johan Duyck was very strong technically. He strove for perfect intonation and laid the foundations for their characteristic sound. Bo Holten focused on the contemporary repertoire. Hervé Niquet brought with him the lyricism of the Baroque world. With Bart Van Reyn, we are going for yet another approach: as chief conductor and artistic director, he is also responsible for productions that he does not conduct himself. He prepares the choir, determines the distribution of voices and in this way lays the foundation for the guest conductors.’

A Solid Foundation

Today the Flemish Radio Choir is a well-established player on the international concert scene. ‘A modern and relevant choir. Renowned organisers from Belgium and abroad, major orchestras and trailblazing ensembles call us for large-scale productions or for innovative projects. Looking back on that evolution fills me with pride. We’ve laid a strong foundation to keep building on.'