In Hoogstraten (Minderhout), Musica Divina is this year's guest at a special location that fits in perfectly with the festival theme: the O.L.V. van den Akker chapel. This charming chapel was built in the mid-17th century by parish priest Waltman van Dyck, brother of the famous painter Antoon Van Dyck. In this intimate space, Emma Wills presents her new, meditative concert programme ‘4-7-8’ in four short concerts. It is an emotional journey with music by composers who often have more than one identity and lay claim to different artistic traditions, genres or audiences. The repertoire ranges from John Dowland to Johann Sebastian Bach and from Marc Ribot to Joni Mitchell. This music stretches across almost five centuries and yet are linked by Wills' quest for self-esteem, fragility and for the boundaries between the versatile sounds of the classical guitar.
In the lane leading to the chapel, you can sample the delights that Hoogstraten has to offer as a Kempen Garden of Eden.
Pictures Emma Wills © Malou Van den Heuvel