‘Utopia, handmade Belgian Polyphony’

In Flanders, Marian devotions have always had a special place in popular devotion. The many chapels along the roads, the magnificent basilicas, cathedrals and churches that are dedicated to the Virgin Mary, as well as the many processions and songs all attest to their popularity.
The Spanish occupation of Flanders in the sixteenth century only accentuated this. Isabella, the daughter of Philip II of Spain, and her husband, the Archduke Albert of Austria, commissioned the Basilica of Our Lady of Scherpenheuvel as well as the stunning Marian cycle by the painter Theodoor van Loon, which you can still see there today.
For this in situ music programme, Utopia has put together Marian Vespers, inspired by Monteverdi’s famous Vespers. Psalms and antiphons are combined with stunning musical settings of the Song of Songs by Spanish and Flemish composers, including Gombert, Morales, de Victoria and Lassus.

Listen to the playlist "Early Music" on Spotify