La nuict froide et sombre

If there is one moment when truth might reveal itself, it is surely at the stroke of midnight—preferably on a silent, sombre night. Such is the premise of La nuict froide et sombre, the haunting chanson by Orlandus Lassus. Drawing on Lassus's original, composer Daan Janssens has created two distinctive reimaginings for ensembles of four and five instruments, opening a dialogue across centuries while allowing the music to resonate in entirely new ways. This encounter between timeless repertoire and newly composed music lies at the heart of the programme. Together, ClubMediéval and SPECTRA explore the enduring vitality of early music through a contemporary lens. Johannes Ockeghem inspires Harrison Birtwistle, while Frederik Neyrinck, one of Belgium's leading composers, transforms the music of John Bedyngham in Memling Echo, the evening's closing work, written especially for Lore Binon, Lieselot De Wilde, and the musicians of both ensembles.