Last night, 800 people from the western city of Bruges enjoyed a unique piano concert in the Beguinage. It was unique because the audience was allowed to lie down during the concert and because the Beguinage is normally silent and has been so for 800 years.
A Beguinage is a convent for members of the Beguine sisterhood, who take temporary vows.
‘This is the first time in 800 years that music has been played here in the tree-lined courtyard,’ explains Kristof Lataire, programme director of 'Het Begijnhof Luistert' (The Beguinage Listens). ‘We want to make a statement about caring for this place and think about how we want to do that in the future, together with all the generations that come after us.’
800-year anniversary celebrations
The piano concert is one of many activities organised to mark the 800th anniversary of the Beguinage. ‘The most important thing for a lying-down concert is that the atmosphere and setting are perfect, and that is certainly the case here,’ says pianist Mattias Devriendt. ‘At a traditional performance, the audience wants to be as close to the stage as possible, but that's not the case here.’
‘At a lying-down concert, the audience curls up in their own bubble and looks up. Then they see the tall trees, the leaves, the clouds. And then there are the houses in the background: it's amazingly beautiful here.’
'Please don't applaud!'
The residents of the Beguinage, all women, addressed the audience after the concert. They called on them to think about the future of this heritage site, which is recognised by the United Nations cultural organisation UNESCO. ‘Over the centuries, the Bruges Beguinage has been open to new ideas and experiences and has flourished again and again. Let's be curious about the future.’
After the concert, all those present were invited to write down their ideas for the Beguinage in a manifesto, after which – at the request of the residents – silence once again fell. ‘Enjoy the concert, but please do not applaud afterwards and respect the silence,’ said one of the residents.