Guest book ‘Jeunesse Musicales Xe Anniversaire’

The Jubilee Book was realised in 1949-1950 on the initiative of Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Jeunesses Musicales - Jeugd en Muziek. It contains contributions by many composers and musicians and drawings by great masters such as René Magritte, Paul Delvaux and Joan Miro. The Charles Vreeken Fund acquired this precious historical work so as to keep it and make it accessible to everyone at the KBR.

Exceptional pedigree

The value of this guest book lies in its provenance as well as its contents. The project was introduced by Queen Elisabeth on 10 December 1949 at the celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Jeunesses Musicales – Jeugd en Muziek in the royal greenhouses in Laeken. Some 70 famous celebrities – including royalty, composers and musicians from Belgium and abroad, such as Jean Cocteau, Lady Baden-Powell, Francis Poulenc, Arthur Rubinstein, Zoltán Kodály, Yehudi Menuhin, Arthur Grumiaux, Kirsten Flagstad, André Cluytens, Igor Markevitch, Ernest Ansermet and many others – signed the guest book or wrote a dedication. There are also some twenty drawings and watercolours by great artists including René Magritte, Paul Delvaux, Joan Miró, Pierre Alechinsky, Anto Carte, Jean Cocteau and Louis Van Lint.

A remedy against the occupation

Marcel Cuvelier, Director of the Brussels Philharmonic Society, founded the Jeunesses Musicales in October 1940. The effects of the occupation were intensifying: only German films were screened, there was very little theatre and sport was banned. By bringing together some 1,600 young people at the Palais des Beaux-Arts (now known as the Bozar), Marcel Cuvelier was in effect conducting an act of resistance against the so-called ‘education’ that the Germans claimed to be providing for young people. Numerous youngsters devoted themselves to music, creating music projects and organising symphonic concerts. Their activities became more diverse as they developed magazines, choirs, Dutch-speaking equivalents in Brussels and Ghent and radio programmes. By 1944, Jeunesses Musicales – Jeugd en Muziek had some 12,000 members and had 8 branches across Belgium. Marcel Cuvelier created the Fédération Internationale des Jeunesses Musicales aimed at establishing fellow organisations abroad, in Europe and the USA.

Fulfilment through music

After almost 85 years in existence, the initial objective of Jeunesses Musicales, of ‘enabling young people to flourish through music beyond frontiers’, remains as relevant today as ever. Jeugd en Muziek Brussel and les Jeunesses Musicales Wallonie-Bruxelles have worked closely together for several years and develop projects with leading cultural institutions such as the Bozar, Flagey and La Monnaie-De Munt.

Accessible to everyone

The Charles Vreeken Fund, whose mission is the acquisition, conservation and promotion of Belgian artists, acquired this exceptional Jeunesses Musicales - Jeugd en Muziek guest book. The book is a rich testament to the international prestige of the Jeunesses Musicales -Jeugd en Muziek and has now been entrusted to the KBR, where it is accessible both to researchers and to the general public.