Early in the morning, the Oude Kerk is a meditative oasis in the city. Since 2017, on every first Friday of the month at 8 a.m., when the rising sun casts its light through the church’s towering windows and the neighbourhood slowly wakes up, visitors can enjoy the Silence music programme. The concerts celebrate the acoustics and space of the Oude Kerk, which invites mostly young, experimental musicians. There are no fixed seats; visitors are welcome to walk around and discover what the music sounds like in different places in the church.

Friday, April 6, there was a concert by composer Franck Krawczyk as part of Christian Boltanski's NA exhibition. Krawczyk designed the walking concert BEFORE where, just like in the first centuries of the church, the audience walked through the space and listens to music. Thirteen cellists played a relay piece four times, alternated with accordion, organ, solo voices and a children's choir. The audience moved through the church, from sound to sound, or chose to take a seat at one location of their choice. The title, BEFORE, could just as well be AFTER, according to Krawczyk: the concert took place after the night and before the day.

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Instruments

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