Flamenco and an organ, an unusual combination?
The music of the people in confrontation with the music of palaces?
Strange as it may seem, both genres have an incredible amount of similarities.

Tierra stands for the “Earthly” whilst Aire carries us towards the “Heavenly”!

In Tierra y Aire the organ pieces of the Spanish baroque alternate with flamenco singing and guitar. The organ pieces were written by educated, wealthy composers which were often associated with the court. The Flamenco pieces originated from the minds and spirits of the people, where more often than not the natural ability, rather than theoretical knowledge, brought forth the gems we know and love today. The organ that fills the church with its bombastic sound, sometimes in sharp contrast with the simplicity, the austerity, the intimacy of a singer and a guitar player, purely acoustic.

A bold choice, but not that surprising : the chosen repertoire interacts with each other in such a subtle way that it unexpectedly builds a bridge between these two worlds. The addition of the nyckelharpa, an ancient European folk instrument, plays a crucial role in the transitions between organ, guitar and vocals. The nyckelharpa forms the bridge, a bridge that has always been there, in Spain where the division between folk and academic art has never been very strict to begin with. Musicians listened to each other and let themselves be inspired by the findings of someone else, regardless of whether it originated out of pure natural inspiration or from a theoretical process.

As is the case in this performance, which we shouldn’t necessarily view as a David versus Goliath but rather where David finally meets Goliath.

Organ : Jan Vermeire 
Nyckelharpa : Ann Heynen 
Flamenco guitar : Michel Gillain 
Flamenco vocals : Antonio Paz 
Dans : Marta Flendrig