A Future Celebration

Future Celebration was composed on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the Royal Socialist Wind Band ‘De Toekomst’ from Sint-Niklaas (Belgium). In this colourful compostion Kevin Houben succeeds in evoking the bustling textile and cigar industry of the nineteenth and twentieth century in this East Flemish city Sint-Niklaas.

After all, these crafts were characteristic for the wealth they brought to the city. Still testimony of this are the 2 unique (niche)museums in Sint-Niklaas: the Knitwear museum and the Pipe and Tobacco museum. Even in times of great crises eg. during the Interbellum the city continued flourishing proving the unique collection of classified art deco houses, amongst others the former People’s House, in which the Royal Socialist Wind Band still rehearse.

This historic background of Sint-Niklaas and of the Wind Band in particular has been musically presented by Kevin Houben in Future Celebration. The brief, but energetic and powerful opening of the work by the brass instruments gives musical expression to Sint-Niklaas as a prosperous city. After the presentation of a majestic and lyrical theme by the woodwinds an allegro with a cheerful theme takes a look at the future, hopefully looking at the next milestones/ celebrations the city and its orchestra are still expecting in the future.