Loos, Edward

Lien Alaerts (translation: Jo Sneppe)

Already at an early age the musical talent of Edward Loos had been stimulated, since his father, an organist-sexton by profession acquainted him with organ and piano music. From 1921 on Loos took up studies at the Limburg Organ School of Arthur Meulemans in Hasselt, concurrently attending classes of harmony and counterpoint with Jef van Hoof and receiving private tutoring from Staf Nees. Meanwhile he regularly replaced his father as organist. Even before completing his studies Loos became organist of St Gangulfus' church in 1918 and in 1920 of the Redemptorists, both in Sint-Truiden. Five years later he was appointed as organist at Sint-Truiden's main church. After his studies at the organ school, Loos became a student at the Jef Denijn Royal Carillon School in Mechelen in 1932. He graduated there in 1935 maxima cum laude, earning the Cardinal Mercier Scholarship.

In 1942 Loos became music teacher at the Minor Seminary in Sint-Truiden, where he was also appointed as organist in 1945. He combined this with teaching piano and singing classes at the Sint-Truiden Municipal Academy of Music. Between 1956 and 1961 he assumed the position of technical director of the Limburg Organ School. In Sint-Truiden's belfry he was also assistant carilloneur of Anatole Van Assche, from 1958 on serving himself as city carilloneur in succession of Van Assche when the latter retired in 1960.

In addition to being a composer Loos was also a conductor. In 1930 he was appointed as conductor of the Gregorius choir in Sint-Truiden, which became very successful under his management. In 1961 the male choir developed into a fully fledged mixed choir, led by Loos until the evening of his death. Many of his compositions were written with this choir in mind.

Loos earned several awards with his compositions. In 1953 his Variaties voor beiaard op het Oud-Nederlands volkslied Pierlala (Variations for Carillon on the Old-Dutch Popular Song Pierlala) won a prize in a composition contest organised by the Royal Carillon School. In 1955 he obtained the Staf Nees prize for carillon composition with his Variaties voor beiaard op Des winters als het regent (Variations for Carillon on In Winter when it Rains). Both works were performed as far away as the USA, such as in New York and Chicago.

In the tradition of the Flemish school he composed in a late romantic and somewhat reverent style. Yet Loos was also very receptive to the harmonious colours of other styles. Stravinsky fascinated him tremendously and certainly towards the end of his life his works displayed modern traits. Moreover, he was noted for being a skilful improviser.

The bulk of Loos’ oeuvre consists of organ and carillon compositions as well as vocal music. One of his best-known carillon works is the Suite op het thema Daar ging ne pater (Suite on the theme There Comes a Father). Loos often drew inspiration from the Flemish song, plenty of his carillon and choral works being variations on well-known Flemish popular songs. He also wrote classical songs of his own, sacred songs and about fifteen songs based on texts by Gezelle, the first one in the series already composed at age thirteen. Among his other vocal music feature eleven masses for one, two, three and four voices, two cantatas, a Te Deum, motets and Latin hymns. Finally he composed half a dozen orchestral works, the work Dans for (symphonic) wind and percussion band as well as stage music for the historical play Lodewijk van Loon on a text by J. Van Daele.