At the corner where Bach and Mozart intersect in the street names, a German short-haired standard watches a cheerful honking procession of drum corps, show bands, concert bands, brass bands, brass bands and street theater acts. He seems to be the only one getting a little nervous on this sun-drenched day from all the military drum rolls and festive marching rhythms. The rest of the audience enjoys the parade in front of the Rodahal and the opening parade through the shopping center.
This marks the start of the 70th anniversary of the World Music Competition in Kerkrade in South Limburg. Officially 71 years old – last year the 19th edition of the most important wind music festival in the world was canceled due to corona restrictions.
Until July 31, the former mining town, now with eleven wind bands and fanfares and a handful of major music festivals proudly called ‘sound city’, will welcome twenty thousand musicians from almost thirty countries. They no longer sleep at Kerkrade residents’ homes, as they used to do, but in hotels in the region. In addition to the young wind players from Uganda, Cuba and Spain: they stay at the Rolduc Abbey. There, after a week of rehearsals, they are the first World Youth Brass Band to give a fraternization concert during the World Music Competition.
On opening day, residents of the center dragged standing tables into the street, placed raised areas in the garden and decorated balconies above shopping flats with flags. All this so that you don’t have to miss anything from Dutch Pipes & Drums from Tilburg, dressed in a Scottish skirt, and the standard bearers of Showband Takostu from Stiens in Friesland. Five years ago, this music association achieved the highest score ever during a marching parade: 94.42 points, according to the city crier. So they can now lead the procession as world champion marching. To celebrate, in their blue uniforms, blowing the cancan under white-shiny pointed helmets, they make a very difficult turn at a hopping trot.
The Frisians are followed by a battalion in red-yellow: the Koninklijke Steltenlopers from Merchtem in Flanders. Founded after the war because residents of the hamlet of Langevelde could only reach the village center on stilts due to frequent flooding of the Molenbeek, according to the master of ceremonies. Now they are carrying a ladder and drumming their way through the heart of Kerkrade on high legs.
†Rams-chic, that magical WMC!’ With those words in five languages (Dutch, German, French, English and the virtually unintelligible for outsiders Kirchröadsj (Church Council), Mayor Petra Dassen-Housen performs the official opening act at 10 o’clock in the evening with a loud bang on a red button. Five wind players and a sea of laser beams seem to lift the town hall for a moment. For nearly a month, all over Kerkrade, competitions take place between brass bands, fanfare and concert bands, march and show bands, percussion ensembles and conductors, at levels from third to premier league.
A number of Asian countries, such as Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, have to cancel due to the consequences of the war in Ukraine: the diverted flight routes over the southern hemisphere make travel too expensive. But the arena is still well and grandly filled with 147 orchestras, promises the new artistic director Björn Bus (41), who was born in Brunssum, who is also chief conductor of Customs Harmony Netherlands. To appeal to a young generation, the WMC has devised many new activities: a fringe festival for band members who do not participate in competitions, many free performances on outdoor stages on the Markt and in the Park and a WMC Academy for young talent.
Bus is extra proud of bringing in master percussionist Martin Grubinger (39) from Austria, who is also often Drum the Bull Lives up Formula 1 competitions. This weekend Grubinger will give a free masterclass in the Park in Kerkrade, on July 28 he will close the concert series with the largest standing concert ever given during a WMC. With percussionists, big band keyboards, a grand piano and a battery of rhythm sections, the percussionist promises to pull out all the stops.
Opposite Grubinger, fellow percussionist Dominique Vleeshouwers is modesty itself. During the grand opening concert with the Philharmonie Zuid-Nederland in the Rodahal, the winner of the Dutch Music Prize 2020 will perform a sparkling marimba arrangement of Astor Piazzolla’s aconcagua† The orchestra also kicks off with a new anniversary hymn, composed by the Kerkrade composer Hardy Mertens, and a crowded symphonic ode to New York, composed by Johan de Meij.
Outside in the parking lot in front of the Rodahal, two Flemish twenty-somethings from Lommel hang their felt suits and lace collars neatly on a hanger under a layer of plastic. They load their snare– and bassdrums in the trunk. They had a great time, they say, to finally be able to get together again with all the archers’ guilds. ‘Ours is dedicated to Saint Ambrose, the bee saint’, they say with a Flemish accent. The 10-year-old Youri shouts to mother Ingrid that he finally wants to practice on all those instruments that are in the attic and on which she used to play in the harmony of Treebeek.
And the young blazers from Uganda go wild on the Market, after they had already made themselves heard that afternoon on an orange double-decker bus. While the German Druckluft from Bonn, with ‘111 Prozent Stimmung’ start their medleys, the Ugandans are all starting a wave on the Kerkrade market.
Rights to the British
Grumpy at the regional broadcaster L1, which always covered the World Music Competition on radio and TV. The WMC has sold all rights to a British company. “The big money was apparently more important to the WMC than maintaining ties with your media partner over the past decades,” said Leo Hauben, editor-in-chief of L1. And I think that’s very shortsighted. Only against payment of hefty sums L1 was allowed to show and hear recordings, with all kinds of restrictions. That was not acceptable to us.’
World Music Competition 2022, until 31/7 at various locations in Kerkrade. With competitions for brass bands, fanfare and concert bands, march and show bands, percussion ensembles and conductors, as well as a new competition (Copa Kapella) for bands with at least four wind players. Also many outdoor performances, a fringe festival, a WMC Academy and a standing concert by the world famous percussion phenomenon Martin Grubinger from Austria.