Cathedral of Our Lady hosted Duruflé Requiem on 30 October
Published on 10/31/2026 at 15:52 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂĽller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSMusic and Gothic architecture
- Polyfoon, soloists and Peter Van de Velde presented Duruflé Requiem on 30 October 2026.
- The concert brought All Souls music into a cathedral known for its seven naves.
- Construction of the Gothic church began in 1352 and was completed in 1521.
- The northern tower rises 123 metres above Antwerp.
A Duruflé Requiem took place at the Cathedral of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal) in Antwerp on 30 October 2026, giving the Belgian cathedral a current musical news peg. The programme brought Polyfoon choir, soloists and cathedral organist Peter Van de Velde together for a concert linked to All Souls observances.
Duruflé Requiem brought Polyfoon to Antwerp Cathedral
The cathedral programme listed Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem, Op. 9, for 30 October 2026. The performance was scheduled for the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp, with Polyfoon, soloists and Peter Van de Velde named as the performers.
The concert formed part of a wider programme of religious music at the cathedral. A programme notice from the cathedral music programme placed the Requiem at 8.30pm and identified it as a performance of Duruflé’s work. The notice also listed the Polyfoon choir and the cathedral organist.
Further programme details were published by Otheo’s concert listing. They included music by Jean Richafort, William Harris, Herbert Howells, Edward Elgar and James Whitbourn alongside the central Duruflé work. The listing placed the Antwerp performance at Handschoenmarkt.
Seven naves and a 123-metre tower frame the venue
The setting gives the concert a precise architectural context. Antwerp’s Cathedral of Our Lady has seven naves and is described by Visit Antwerpen as the largest Gothic structure in the Low Countries. Its construction took 169 years and was completed in 1521.
Work on the present Gothic church began in 1352, replacing an earlier Romanesque church. The building was later associated with Rubens, whose Elevation of the Cross and Descent from the Cross are among the artworks identified by Visit Antwerpen’s heritage guide.
The northern tower reaches 123 metres and remains a defining feature of the city skyline. That vertical scale contrasts with the inward focus of a choral Requiem: the event used a building shaped by medieval construction, while its programme drew on sacred music from several later periods.
Religious music remains part of the cathedral programme
The Duruflé performance was not presented as an isolated use of the building. The cathedral maintains several concert series and also hosts special religious concerts, with organ and choral music forming part of its published programme.
For visitors reading the listing after 30 October 2026, the Requiem is a past event rather than a future booking opportunity. Its lasting value as a news item lies in the documented connection between Polyfoon’s performance, the cathedral’s music programme and one of Antwerp’s central Gothic landmarks.
Visiting Cathedral of Our Lady: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Duruflé Requiem took place on 30 October 2026 at the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp.
- The event was a concert inside the cathedral, performed by Polyfoon, soloists and organist Peter Van de Velde; the listing now records a completed performance.
- The venue stands at Handschoenmarkt in central Antwerp, where the cathedral forms part of the city’s group of monumental churches.
- Visitors encounter a seven-nave Gothic church with a 123-metre tower and artworks including Rubens’s Elevation of the Cross and Descent from the Cross.
- The building was constructed from 1352 and completed in 1521, so the concert took place in a church with more than five centuries of completed Gothic history.
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Frequently asked questions about Cathedral of Our Lady
When did Duruflé Requiem take place at Cathedral of Our Lady?
The concert took place on 30 October 2026 in Antwerp. Polyfoon, soloists and Peter Van de Velde performed the programme.
What is Cathedral of Our Lady?
It is a Gothic cathedral in Antwerp with seven naves and a 123-metre tower. Construction began in 1352 and the building was completed in 1521.
Where is Cathedral of Our Lady and how do you get there?
The cathedral is at Handschoenmarkt in central Antwerp. It is one of the city’s monumental churches and stands within the historic centre.
