Music in the Cathedral
The Cathedral hosts no less than three permanent concert series! In addition, special concerts can be heard regularly, in keeping with the Cathedral's mission to bring religious music within the appropriate time frame. On Holy Days the traditional Easter and Christmas concerts resound and the weekly Mass celebrations are graced by both well-known melodies and special pieces from the organist's personal repertoire.
Every first Sunday of the month is 'Organ Sunday'. At 11.45 am, there is a free concert in the Cathedral Organ on Sunday series, in which the two great Cathedral organs, the romantic Schyven organ and the baroque-style Metzler organ, play a starring role.
Later that day, at 4 pm, the monthly Sunday Music will sound from the choir loft around the Schyven organ or from one of the chapels. In this intimate concert series, music director and organist Peter Van de Velde has planned the most surprising programmes, usually in collaboration with another instrumentalist or singer. Here you can get a taste of the atmosphere. Sunday Music is free to residents of the province of Antwerp. For other visitors, the standard entrance fees for the Cathedral apply.
During the summer months, visitors to the Cathedral can listen to afternoon concerts in the Orgel na de Noen (Organ After Noon) series. On Friday afternoons in July and August between 12.45 and 1.30 pm, organists from home and abroad take turns behind the Schyven organ or the Metzler organ. Tickets cost €12 and are available on the day at the entrance counter of the Cathedral.
Once a year - usually in the month of June - the Cathedral is home to the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra. Information and ticket sales for this concert are via www.antwerpsymphonyorchestra.be.
PROGRAMME
July & August 2024
Friday 5 July, 12.45-13.30 pm: 'Orgel na de Noen'
Salvatore Pronesti – Schyven-organ
Sunday, 7 July 11.45 am: Cathedral Organ on Sunday:
'Bach transcribed'
Peter Van de Velde plays the Schyven organ; works by Johann Sebastian Bach in romantic organ transcriptions by Karl Straube, Louis Vierne, Alexander Siloti and Virgil Fox.
Sunday, 7 July, 4 pm: Sunday Music:
Violinists Nadja Nevolovitsch and Alexander Pavtchinskii play a surprising programme.
Friday 12 July, 12.45-13.30 pm: 'Orgel na de Noen'
Jan Vermeire – Metzler-organ
Friday 19 July, 12.45-13.30 pm: 'Orgel na de Noen'
Bert den Hertog – Schyven-organ
Friday 26 July, 12.45-13.30 pm: 'Orgel na de Noen'
Nadiya Velychko – Metzler-organ
Friday 2 August, 12.45-13.30 pm: 'Orgel na de Noen'
Gereon Krahforst – Schyven-organ
Sunday, 4 August, 11.45 am: Cathedral organ on Sunday
'Charles Villiers Stanford, 1852-1924'
Peter Van de Velde plays the Schyven organ in a concert in honour of the centenary of the death of composer Charles Villiers Stanford. The programme includes his Sonata Eroica.
Sunday, 4 August, 4 pm: Sunday Music
'Charles Villiers Stanford, 1852-1924'.
Concert in honour of the centenary of the death of composer Charles Villiers Stanford. Mezzo-soprano Anastasiia Staroselska and organist Peter Van de Velde will perform Stanford's Six Bible Songs.
Friday 9 August, 12.45-13.30 pm: 'Orgel na de Noen'
Sebastiaan van Steenberge – Metzler-organ
Friday 16 August, 12.45-13.30 pm: 'Orgel na de Noen'
Erik-Jan Eradus – Schyven-organ
Friday 23 August, 12.45-13.30 pm: 'Orgel na de Noen'
Willeke Smits – Metzler-organ
Friday 2 August, 12.45-13.30 pm: 'Orgel na de Noen'
Andrzey Szadeko – Schyven-organ
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The Cathedral organs are also active during the larger, religious celebrations. On all Sundays, organist Peter Van de Velde accompanies the High Mass at 10 am and the Vespers service at 5 pm, as well as on Saturdays at the evening Masses at 4 pm in Dutch and in English at 5.30 pm
On Holy Days, special concerts can be heard in the Cathedral too. During Holy Week, a Passion concert (chamber music) sounds on Wednesday at 8 pm and an organ concert on the Metzler organ with works by Johann Sebastian Bach on Easter Monday at 5 pm. On Good Friday, a special tradition has developed over the past years with a performance of St John's Passion in liturgical context at 8 pm. Religious music as it is meant to be. During the Advent and Christmas seasons too, things are anything but quiet at the Cathedral. On Boxing Day (December 26) there is a Christmas Benefit concert on the Schyven organ. A Christmas concert with the Cathedral choirs will be coming in the future.
