Dave Douglas composed a suite to celebrate the 600th anniversary of The Ghent Altarpiece by the van Eyck brothers. When the American trumpeter and composer plays in Belgium, he usually pays a visit to this impressive triptych in Ghent’s St Bavo Cathedral. Douglas was very impressed by the recently uncovered original version from which The Mystic Lamb looks its visitors straight in the eye.
Director Wim Wabbes of concert hall the Handelsbeurs in Ghent gave Douglas this prestigious assignment. As the composer set to work, he thought about people he would like to cooperate. Normally Douglas works with improvising musicians and he intended to do so again this time. However, the pandemic threw a spanner in the works. As Douglas’ suite neared completion, he, like many other musicians, was forced to stay at home. He made a virtue of necessity and had all orchestra members play their parts from home, including the improvised parts. The distance had no negative effect on the group sound. On the contrary, the musical balance seems to be better now that it was so carefully tuned.
Douglas describes his compositions as “songs of praise for all of us.” The lyrics are based on a variety of periods and places: a Latin mass, a medieval folk song, Psalm 59 and a song by soul singer Marvin Gaye. For the music, Douglas drew inspiration from Guillaume DuFay a contemporary of the painters Jan and Hubert van Eyck. The selected band members successfully worked out Douglas’ lyrical and mystical compositions. The music has become as fresh and vibrant as the restored artwork.
The technology that was developed during the pandemic proved to be a blessing-in-disguise. The organ used for the chamber music sections was recorded by keyboardist Marta Warelis at the Organ Park in Amsterdam, while guitarist Frederik Leroux and drummer Lander Gyselink provided their modern accents from Flanders. Douglas himself sang the choral parts together with tuba and serpent player Berlinde Deman.
Dave Douglas’ musical spectrum is broad. In July, he played with saxophonist Joe Lovano at the North Sea Jazz festival and he used to be part of John Zorn’s experimental Masada project. On the occasion of his 50th birthday, he recorded an album of religious music. With Secular Psalms, he successfully continues this tradition.
Picture Dave Douglas at North Sea Jazz 2022, by Ron Beenen
Jazz Brugge Night, Dave Douglas & ensemble, Secular Psalms:
Mercy: