Years later and with those happy moments still ringing in his ears, Vereecke, a fresh-faced applied economics graduate, launched the first Night of the Proms at Antwerp’s Sportpaleis with fellow enthusiast Jan Van Esbroeck. The name and concept were directly borrowed from the eight-weeklong British classical festival The BBC Proms, whose famous last concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall mixes popular classics and patriotic hymns. The pair expected only a handful of fellow students to turn up and had to pinch themselves when more than 13,000 did. Clearly, they were onto something.
The “Jannen”, as they are known, are now jointly in charge of the Antwerp Sportpaleis. As for their brainchild, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, it embodies crossover in all its mellow seduction – or sanitised kitsch, whichever way you choose to look at it. Upbeat pop numbers jostle with dainty ballads, jazz standards and classical favourites, unfolding at a brisk pace. “No one gets to perform long enough to become boring,” says Vereecke.
This well-oiled extravaganza has featured the likes of Sting, Joe Cocker, Simple Minds and Zucchero, yet its distinctive sound is provided by a full symphonic orchestra that returns year after year, Il Novecento, conducted by former Queen Elisabeth Competition laureate Robert Groslot. The ensemble not only performs the classical pieces on the programme but also provides backing for the other numbers, with help from a rhythm section hidden among its musicians.
“I’ve always been fascinated by music that has a symphonic touch to it, by the richness of the orchestral sound,” Vereecke tells me. “As it turns out, a lot of pop music is influenced by it.”
Because of its casual treatment of classical music – pieces are routinely cut, arranged or seamlessly spliced together to form what is often a glorified version of elevator music – Night of the Proms gets little credit from purists. Vereecke likes to counter that he’s done more to introduce the genre to the masses than more respectful approaches have ever managed. “Disney,” he points out, “did much the same thing with the film Fantasia: open people’s ears, bring classical music to kids who would never otherwise have had a chance to hear it.”
From Antwerp, Night of the Proms has migrated to other locations, including the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and France. Only in Paris did the chemistry fail to work, causing performances to be discontinued. Vereecke blames it all on those snooty French. “They had trouble making the connection between the different kinds of music,” he ponders. “The gap between audiences is bigger there than elsewhere: people tended to like one aspect of the programme but not others.”
No chance of that happening in Antwerp, where Night of the Proms enjoys a captive and evergrowing fan base. “If you liked one show, you’re bound to like them all,” Vereecke says, pointing out that many listeners keep returning each year, bringing their children, grandparents, friends and colleagues, and thus bridging the gap between generations – just as performers on stage blur distinctions between genres. “These people just like music, all kinds of music,” says Vereecke. “Professionals in the music industry are often too keen to categorise. They think that there are many people out there who only like, say, reggae. Fortunately, our audience is a lot more open-minded.”
Their hairlines have receded and their waistlines expanded, but the songs penned in the ’80s by vocalist Andy McCluskey and keyboardist Alan Humphreys still exert their old smoky, synthetic charm. You can’t help wondering at the silliness of these bands’ names sometimes, but for once it will be absolutely accurate: there will be plenty of orchestral activity and very little light.
Also featured in the original edition, the suave English vocalist has since become a regular. Vereecke deems “Music”, his lushly- orchestrated hymn, “the best song ever composed” and has made it NOTP’s signature. “Music was my first love, and it will be my last / Music of the future, and music of the past”, he quotes. “What better way of summarising what we’re all about?”
Belgium’s most famous jazzman was there on the very first edition of Night of the Proms, cracking jokes and delivering dreamy standards on his harmonica. Twenty-five years later, he’s still at it and in finer fettle than ever – at age 87.
This bright and cheerful duo from Sweden were originally booked for the 2002 edition but had to cancel when singer Marie Fredriksson was diagnosed with a brain tumour. She’s now thankfully recovered and ready to dish out her catchy songs in English with smirking partner Per Gessle at the guitar.
This symphony orchestra and choir have been the concerts’ backbone since the early 1990s and will, according to Vereecke, “play almost anything”. This year they continue to explore the lighter side of the classical repertoire with an abridged version of Ravel’s “Bolero”, Brahms’ fifth Hungarian Dance, and excerpts from Rossini’s “Thieving Magpie”, but also recent scores composed for computer games. Not to forget, of course, Elgar’s celebration of Britishness, “Land of Hope and Glory”, which traditionally brings the event to a roaring close.
Making her début at NOTP, the glamourous singer of the Dutch band Within Temptation will demonstrate her unnerving vocals and penchant for Gothic fashion.
From Vivaldi to Piazzolla, no guitar duet is too daunting for these devilishly gifted twins from Hungary.
24 0ctober-11 November
Sportspaleis
119 Schijnpoortweg Merksem (Antwerp)
Festival of Flanders For classical music purists, the Festival of Flanders is still going on in Ghent, Mechelen and across Flemish Brabant Bridging the gap Night of the Proms blithely marries pop and classical
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