It is a great pleasure to announce our winter concert, “Winter silence”. This is going to be an extraordinary concert as the MaGMa Trio celebrates its first lustrum; we exist five years now!
The lovely church of Dochamps
It is so good to know that we will be welcomed again in the church of Dochamps in a friendly and warm atmosphere. Like every time when we approach the people responsible, the dean Roger Pascal and Marie-Esther and Patrick have given us a favourable answer to our request to perform a concert in this church. Thank you so much!
The special interior
Already now it is possible to make a reservation for your places. If you click “Tickets” in the French or Dutch menu, the rest is easy!
We are looking forward to welcoming you on Sunday 26 January 2020; we start at 16.00 hrs!
During its concerts in the framework of the BAM! festival 2019 in La Roche-en-Ardenne, Belgium, the MAGMA TRIO (Marijke PERSIJN, mezzo-soprano, Marijke VERBEECK, flute and Gérard LAMBERT, organ) performed “Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht”, also known as the “Coffee cantata” by Johann-Sebastian Bach.
The text was about a father (Herr Schlendrian – Mister Stick in the Mud) advising his daughter (Lieschen) to give up coffee, otherwise she would not be able to find a husband. The clever Lieschen then replies that she would just find a husband who would let her have coffee. “Dear Father, do not be so strict! If I couldn’t, three times a day, be allowed to drink my little cup of coffee, in my anguish I will turn into a shriveled-up roast goat”.
The Coffee Cantata, “Be silent, don’t chatter” (BWV 211), is one of the secular cantata Bach wrote. This cantata reflects the growing popularity of coffee at that time in Leipzig. The Coffee Cantata was probably performed by Collegium Musicum at Gottfried Zimmermann’s coffee house.
It was the first weekend of October that we performed our two concerts during the BAM! festival in La Roche-en- Ardenne. For the last time I’d like to re-introduce the video of the four poems by Jacques Perk, which have been put to music by the Dutch composer Peter Visser and which have experienced their World Premiere during these concerts.
For us, artists as well as all who helped us, it has been an enormous adventure! Of course it was hard work! For the musicians the rehearsals demanded a lot of time and energy for more than six months, we traveled to and from the Netherlands for them; we remember the inspiring discussions between the musicians and the painter Daisy Hoste and with the composer Peter Visser who assisted us so kindly. As far as the organisation part is concerned, we had the reunions with the coordinator of the BAM! festival, with the Mayor and Elderman for Culture of La Roche, with the coordinator of the Action Animation Tourisme of La Roche and the management and staff of the Hotel Floréal. And by telephone with representatives of the Embassy of the Netherlands to Belgium.
Once more we’d like to thank everyone for their enthusiasm and helpfulness!
For a better understanding and perhaps appreciation of these works, I’d like to present the essence of the fourth and last poem as Eric has “translated” it. The poem is called “Dorpsdans”, “The dance of the village”. I’d like to remind you that the video only shows a part of the songs. If you are interested in the entire work, please do contact us!
Just contact us!
Dance of the village
Jacques Perk 1859 – 1881
At the sound of the violin in the vinyard The youngsters rise to make a dance Follow the rythm, cheeks like cherries, Hands touch gently hips nearby. The old man, standing at the entrance Observes them kindly with a smile. Happy with his life as it passes Happy for the love he sees.
You see paintings made by the artist Daisy Hoste from Enneille/Durbuy, which match so wonderfully with the songs.
I hope you have enjoyed the words, the melody and the atmosphere of the “Songs of the Ardennes”!
It was the first weekend of October that we performed our two concerts during the BAM! festival in La Roche-en- Ardenne. Today I’d like to re-introduce the video of the four poems by Jacques Perk, which have been put to music by the Dutch composer Peter Visser and which have experienced their World Premiere during these concerts.
For a better understanding and perhaps appreciation of these works, I’d like to present the essence of the third poem as Eric has “translated” it. The poem is called “De burcht in puin”, “Castle in ruins”. I’d like to remind you that the video only shows a part of the songs. If you are interested in the entire work, please do contact us!
Castle in ruins
Jacques Perk 1859 – 1881
At the castle fireflies announce the end of day purple shadows embrace the ancient stones the crickets song echoes from the fallen towers, invites his love to fly to him. Where once the knights sang loud their songs, just memory of them remains: remember that the past has gone
You see paintings made by the artist Daisy Hoste from Enneille/Durbuy, which match so wonderfully with the songs.
Do enjoy the words, the melody and the atmosphere of the “Songs of the Ardennes”!
It was the first weekend of October that we performed our two concerts during the BAM! festival in La Roche-en- Ardenne. Today I’d like to re-introduce the video of the four poems by Jacques Perk, which have been put to music by the Dutch composer Peter Visser and which have experienced their World Premiere during these concerts.
For a better understanding and perhaps appreciation of these works, I’d like to present the essence of the second poem as Eric has “translated” it. The poem is called “De forel”, “The trout”. I’d like to remind you that the video only shows a part of the songs. If you are interested in the entire work, please do contact us!
Do contact us!
The trout
Jacques Perk 1859 – 1881
Look at the trout, appearing from the shadows of the stream vanishing into the glittering sun. It jumps and shines by day so bright drops back into the streaming snow. As it is captured by the boundaries of water man lives in the realm of fate and follows his path, creating fulfillment finding freedom like nowhere else
You see paintings made by the artist Daisy Hoste from Enneille/Durbuy, which
match so wonderfully with the songs.
Do enjoy the words, the melody and the atmosphere of the “Songs of the
Ardennes”!
It’s already four weeks since our two concerts during the BAM! festival in La Roche-en- Ardenne. Today I’d like to re-introduce the video, a compilation, of the four poems by Jacques Perk, which have been put to music by the Dutch composer Peter Visser and which have experienced their World Premiere during these concerts.
For a better understanding and perhaps appreciation of these
works, I’d like to present the essence of the first poem as Eric has “translated”
it. The poem is called “Dorpsvesper”, “Village Vespers”. I’d like to remind you
that the video only shows a part of the songs. If you are interested in the
entire work, please do contact us!
For contact
Jacques Perk 1859 – 1881
Village Vespers
The day is almost over, the bird’s about to rest. Churchbells summon to congregate. Assembling there in prayer, people celebrate the day. Hate dies when common spirits join.
You see paintings made by the artist Daisy Hoste from Enneille/Durbuy, which match so wonderfully with the songs.
Do enjoy the words, the melody and the atmosphere of the “Songs of the Ardennes”!
Already three weeks have passed since we performed both our concerts in the framework of the BAM! festival in La Roche-en-Ardenne. I promised you to give the texts of the four poems of Jacques Perk which have been put to music by Peter Visser. But today, as a sort of “introduction”, I’d like to present the video that Eric has made and through which you can get an impression of the words, melodies and atmosphere as well as of the paintings made by Daisy Hoste, which match so well with the “Chants d’Ardenne”.
If you are interested to see and or hear them in their entirety, or if you have an idea about an occasion where they could be performed, please contact our MaGMa Trio.
From left to right: Sophie Molhan (Elderman for Culture, La Roche), Guy Guilloteaux (Mayor of La Roche), Marijke Persijn, Peter Visser (composer, Voorburg, NL), Daisy Hoste (painter), Marijke Verbeeck, Marco Kalkman (harpsicord, Schiedam, NL), Gérard Lambert, Piet Sleeking (Elderman for Culture, Dordrecht)
We really needed a bit of a pause after the last few weeks which led to
the two concerts on 5 and 6 october 2019 in Hotel Floréal. That’s why you
couldn’t find our blog last weekend.
Our Trio
We had proposed to perform a project under the name “MaGMa
et Amices”. Both the BAM! festival as the Dutch Embassy to Belgium supported
our proposal, in which we combined poetry, painting and music.
With Marco Kalkman, harpsicord
Isn’t it remarkable that this is a genuine international project? People from Wallony, Flanders and the Netherlands worked together. Our MaGMa Trio is already exemplary for this: Gérard was born and raised in La Roche and lives here again nowadays; Marijke Verbeeck originated in Flanders; I come from the Netherlands. And we saw contributions of Peter Visser, the Dutch composer from Voorburg; Marco Kalkman, who played the harpsicord during the Perk-songs, comes from Schiedam. And Daisy Hoste, the painter, originally comes from Flanders, but is a Walloon since ages now.
Eric van der Horst has been arranging, discussing, writing and talking for months with the organisers of the BAM! festival, representatives of the city of La Roche, representatives of the Embassy of the Netherlands to Belgium and several Eldermen for Culture of cities where Jacques Perk spent part of his life. It resulted in actual support and/or presence from Hanna Oosterbaan and Mirthe Demaerel of the Dutch Embassy, Mayor Guy Guilloteaux of La Roche, Elderman Sophie Molhan of La Roche and Piet Sleeking, Elderman of Dordrecht, the city where Jacques Perk was born. And we definitely should not forget mentioning Michel Defays, coordinator of the BAM! festival and Jean-Michel Bodelet, coordinator of “Action Animation Tourisme” of La Roche. And last but not least a very warm Thank You to management and staff of the Hotel Floréal for their helpful and understanding cooperation.
But … we could only enjoy these moments so much because of you, our audience from Wallony, Flanders and the Netherlands!
Our audience
The presence of the Elderman for Culture of Dordrecht, Piet Sleeking, made it even more special. He had come to La Roche with his wife and gave an interesting speech. Having been a teacher for the Dutch language, he had a special interest in this project with poems by Jacques Perk put to music.
Coming weeks we will show the paintings by Daisy Hoste, which
were inspired by or relate to these poems.
To all who have been present at the two events “In the
footsteps of the poet Perk”: we are gratefull for your interest!
Castle in ruines – Daisy Hoste
To all who have supported our project we’d like to say: this
further step in the development of Culture in La Roche-en-Ardenne wouldn’t have
been possible without you.
Thank you so much!
Our special gratitude goes out to
The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Belgium, Hanna Oosterbaan, cultural attaché and Mirthe Demaerel, department for Culture and Public diplomacy
The Mayor of La Roche-en-Ardenne, Guy Guilloteaux
The coördinator of the BAM! festival, Michel Defays
The Elderman for Culture of La Roche-en-Ardenne, Sophie Molhan
The Elderman for Culture of Dordrecht, birth place of Jacques Perk, Piet Sleeking
The coördinator of “Action Animation Tourisme”, Jean-Michel Bodelet
Management and staff of the Hotel Floréal: your willingness and flexibility were an enormous help
Peter Visser, composer for putting four Perk poems to music
All performing artists:
Marijke Persijn, mezzosoprano of the MaGMa Trio
Marijke Verbeeck, flautist of the MaGMa Trio
Gérard Lambert, harpsicord player of the MaGMa Trio
Marco Kalkman, harpsicord player during the Perk songs
Daisy Hoste, painter, for her works, inspired by Perk
Eric van der Horst for introductory and connecting texts
The trout – Daisy Hoste
Designing and realising this project has been an intense and amazing experience!
Last Friday and Saturday we really enjoyed rehearsing
for our coming concerts. Marco Kalkman had come over from the Netherlands so we
could better study on the “Chants d’Ardenne”.
with Bernhard Kühn
And as surprise,
Gérard, Marijke, Marco and me gave a little concert in the church of La Roche for
friends of Erics. And it even was an extraordinary moment because one of them reveiled
himself as a fantastic baritone. He sang a solo piece and two duetts together
with me. We had studied these “secretely” on Friday, after they had arrived …
nobody had noticed!
Marco Kalkman
A very warm “thank you” to Marco who played a toccata by Sweelinck on the church organ. As well as to Marijke and Gérard and of course the baritone Bernhard Kühn.
And now we are counting the last days and nights before our two concerts coming weekend.
On Saturday 5 October both the venue and the cash desk are open at 15.00 hrs. The concert will start at 15.30 hrs with speeches by the Mayor of La Roche, mr. Guilloteaux and the Elderman for Culture, Sophie Molhan. The Elderman for Culture of the city of Dordrecht, birthplace of Jacques Perk, will introduce the four “Chants d’Ardenne”.
Sunday 6 October the venue and the cash desk are also open at 15.00 hrs. The concert will start at 15.30 hrs, this time without speeches.
The two
concerts will take place at Hotel Floréal in La Roche-en-Ardenne.
We are
absolutely looking forward to meeting you this weekend!
