Simon van Hoecke

Jewish Wake

for brassband
Jewish Wake was initially written for a 10 part brass ensemble, in which the composer played when he was a student at the Royal Antwerp Conservatory.
The solo part in the beginning is an originally Jewish lament and the main theme for the rest of the work.
The odd mix of styles, typical for this short but virtuoso composition, finds his roots in the different cultural communities living in Antwerp, particularly the community of the Jews, known for their involvement in the famous Diamond industry. Antwerp was the former residency of the composer.