Curriculum Vitae

(photo Luc Deprest)

Far outside Roeselare and West-Flanders the Roeselaars Chamber Choir has found recognition for its outstanding musical performances. It has been rewarded by the City Council of Roeselare as Cultural Ambassador Roeselare 2016-2018. The choir connects talented singers from Roeselare and a broad region around.

The chamber choir covers a wide and varied repertoire from Renaissance to contemporary music.

It was found about 35 years ago under the direction of Dirk Blockeel. The choir continued its way with conductor Hans Van Daele. Now, Bart Naessens is the inspiring artistic director and conductor. Together with him, untold many performances have been realized and found an enthusiastic audience. The choir performed musical pearls as “Membra Jesu Nostri” from Dietrich Buxtehude, Ein Deutsches Requiem from Johannes Brahms, Via Crucis from Franz Liszt, Fauré’s Requiem, the famous Miserere from G. Allegri, Mozarts’ Requiem, the intense Stabat Mater from Antonin Dvorak, double choir motets and psalms from Felix Mendelssohn, la Petite Messe Solennelle from G. Rossini, Bach’s Johns Passion, the Jeremiah-Lamentations from Thomas Tallis, Stabat Mater from G. Rheinberger, Masses from William Byrd... The choir has a special appreciation for the work of Roeselare’s own polyphony composer Adriaen Willaert and often performs his best art work. The choir not only deals with traditional classical music as mentioned above. It often goes out of the box with more unusual challenging work like the madrigal comedy “La barca di Venezia per Padova” from A. Banchieri and a further worked out modern version of “La Barca” professionally directed by Marieke De Maré and performed together with the Spiegel Theatre. In July 2018 the choir commemorated the end of World War I with a special project based on the novel “Forbidden area” from Erwin Mortier under direction of Martine Geerinckx, together with word artist Siska Viaene. Yes, the choir likes to cross over traditional classical boundaries.

Every two years the Roeselaars Chamber Choir goes abroad to spread its music. It found an enthusiastic audience in Paris in 2014 and in Rome in 2016. In November 2018, a concert tour leads through the North of England with performances in York, Leeds, Ripon Cathedral and Harrogate.