By Martin Banks

This summer, every Tuesday evening at 8 p.m., from July 29 to August 26, the “Ars in Cathedrali” Festival celebrates the 25th anniversary of the great Grenzing organ of the Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula in Brussels.

It promises to be a dazzling programme concocted by the Festival’s artistic directors, Xavier Deprez and Bart Jacobs.

It was in the spring of 2000 that the great organ, built by Gerhard Grenzing, was hung in the nave of the Cathedral.

It has three organ cases: the central body with the console and the four manuals, flanked on either side by the pedal turrets.

It is placed in a swallow’s nest and weighs nearly 30 tons.

The location is ideal from an acoustic point of view, as the organ benefits from the vault, which reflects sound downwards, as well as the wall in front of the organ cases.

This type of location is one of the oldest in large churches and cathedrals. Other organs in France or Germany benefit from this arrangement: Metz, Chartres, Cologne. (continuation of the description of the organ at the end of this press release).

“Ars in Cathedrali” – the programme:

Tuesday, July 29, 2025 – 8 p.m.: Lorenzo GHELMI – “In the footsteps of Johann-Sebastian Bach”
* Fantasia in C major BWV 573* Jesu meine Freude BWV 753* Jesu meine Freude BWV 1105* O Traurigkeit, o Herzeleid BWV Anh. 200* O Mensch, bewein’ dein Sünde gross BWV 622* Fantasia & Fuga in C minor BWV 537* Sonata in D minor (Adagio°,  Fuga, Siciliana°, Presto°) BWV 1001* Toccata, Adagio e Fuga in C major BWV 564
Lorenzo Ghielmi has devoted himself for many years as an organist, harpsichordist and conductor to the study and interpretation of Renaissance and Baroque music.  He is the author of several studies on the art of the organ in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and on the interpretation of Bach’s works. Professor of organ, harpsichord and ensemble music at the Civica Scuola di Musica in Milan, he was the holder of the chair of organ at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, in Basel. Currently, he is the titular organist of the Ahrend organ of the Basilica of San Simpliciano in Milan, where he performed the complete organ works of J.S. Bach.

Tuesday 5 August 2025 – 8 pm: Xavier Deprez – “Rameau – Handel”
J. Ph. Rameau (1683-1764)* Overture in G minor (Castor et Pollux) (Gavotte – Tambourin – Air grave – Entrée des peuples – Rondeau – Chaconne)G. F. Handel (1685-1759)
* Concerto in Bb major (Overture – Allegro – Sicilienne – Allegro)* Suite in G minor (Overture – Andante – Allegro – Sarabande – Passacaglia)* Concerto “The Cuckoo and the Nightingale” (Larghetto – Allegro – Solo – Larghetto – Allegro)
Xavier Deprez is an organist, improviser and composer. Principal organist of the church of Notre-Dame du Finistère in Brussels since 1193 where he created with his wife Momoyo Kokubu, theseries of noon concerts “Organ Monday”. He has also been titular organist of the Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudula in Brussels since 2010 and artistic director of the Concerts de la Cathédrale Ars in Cathedrali and the Messes Festives. Xavier Deprez is also the composer of about forty works: for organ, choir and solo voices. A CD of vocal and instrumental works has been released on the MeloPhone label: “Le Vent Souffle Où Il Veut”.

Tuesday 12 August 2025 – 8 pm: Arnaud Van De Cauter – Recital Dietrich Buxtehude
* Präludium, Fuga und Chaconne in C BuxWV 137* Nun lob mein Seel, den Herren BuxWV 214* Nun lob mein Seel den Herren BuxWV 212* Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott BuxWV 184* Präludium in g BuxWV 148* Choralfantasie: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern BuxWV 223* Nimm von uns,  Herr, du treuer Gott BuxWV 207 – Vers 1, 2 et 3* Ach Gott und Herr BuxWV 177 – Vers 1 et 2* Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder BuxWV 178* Passacaglia in d BuxWV 161* Toccata in d BuxWV 155
Arnaud Van de Cauter is Professor of Organ at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Liège and Professor of Body Training (body awareness on the instrument and stress management) at the Royal Conservatory of Music of Mons – ARTS. A new recording dedicated to the works of Dietrich Buxtehude on the historic organ in Norden (D) will be released in September 2025. His concerts are conceived as an entry into deep resonance with interiority and subtlety. A practitioner, therapist and teacher in Somatic Experiencing® and NARM®, he has developed an experiential approach to artistic practice combining body awareness, mindfulness and stress management (ESSE – Being Self & Somatic Experiencing®).

Tuesday 19 August 2025 – 8 pm: Bart Jacobs – “Romantic German music of the 19th century”
Works by G. Merkel, F. Mendelssohn, J. Rheinberger and A. Ritter* Sonata 4 by August Ritter* Sonata 8 by Josef Rheinberger* Praeludium et fuga (transcription) by Felix Mendelssohn* Fantasieen by Gustav Merkel
Bart Jacobs was appointed organist of the Brussels Cathedral Choir under the direction of Erik Van Nevel in 2000 and,  in 2012, he was appointed titular organist of the Cathedral of Saints-Michel-et-Gudule in Brussels.

He has won numerous prizes at international organ competitions, including 1st prize at the Schnitger Competition in Alkmaar where he was the first and only Belgian musician to have won it and he is a finalist at the Max Reger Competition in Leeuwarden. As a soloist and continuo player, he performs throughout Europe and collaborates with many renowned choirs and ensembles. The “CD Concertos for organ and strings” (2019) for the Ramée label, with its own reconstructions of J. S. Bach’s concertos for organ and strings performed with the baroque orchestra Les Muffatti, is a huge international success. 

Tuesday, August 26, 2025 – 8 p.m.: Vincent Dubois – Titular organist at the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral
* Johann Sebastian Bach – Passacaglia and fugue in C minor* Camille Saint-Saëns – Danse macabre* Louis Vierne – Finale of the 6th symphony* Maurice Duruflé – Suite op.5: Prelude, Sicilienne, Toccata,* Maurice Ravel – Minuet and Toccata, excerpts from Couperin’s Tomb – Improvised
 boleroSince 2016, Vincent Dubois has been appointed titular organist of the great organs of Notre-Dame de Paris alongside Philippe Lefèbvre and Olivier Latry.  He performs around the world, is invited as a soloist to play with many renowned ensembles and in many international festivals. He has given master classes at numerous European and American universities and conservatories and was appointed artist-professor in residence at the University of Michigan from 2014 to 2017.  In addition to his appetite for creation as a performer or improviser, he participates in the creation of original artistic shows such as “Equestrian Liturgy”, given in the company of the equestrian choreographer Bartabas, also “Chœur d’étoiles” with the actor Michel Duchausso and regularly performs as an improviser in the context of film-concerts.

Info:

Tickets are 18 euro pp but free for under 18s.

Online booking and prepayment desired via: www.cathedralisbruxellensis.be
https://www.cathedralisbruxellensis.be/concerts-ete-2025/