John E. Gardiner
Photo: Rock/Universal
Brussels’s concert hall Bozar will be reopen tonight and John Eliot Gardiner will conduct Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. In a press release the hall says: « Conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner himself insisted that he and his musicians should perform as planned. The Matthew Passion, with its message of love and solace, is a powerful symbol. It is precisely in these tragic circumstances when the need for solidarity is at its greatest and when a performance of this unifying piece by Bach is so befitting. This evening’s concert is dedicated to the victims and relatives of the victims of yesterday’s distressing events. Minister for Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders has endorsed the decision to let the concert go ahead and will be attending the performance himself.
The security measures that will be put in place will be very rigorous. People attending the concert will be searched and thus we advise all visitors to arrive at the Centre for Fine Arts as early as possible. Also, people will not be allowed to bring backpacks, bags or handbags into the Centre. Please do not bring anything that is not strictly necessary. »
Gardiner will be at the helm of the English Baroque soloists and the Monteverdi Choir.
