De Graeve, Adolf

Adeline Boeckaert (translation: Jo Sneppe)

Adolf De Graeve was born in Bruges, where he also spent virtually his entire musical life. His father, who was a tailor as well as being caretaker of the Bruges conservatory, passed away when Adolf was only ten. Hendrik Van den Abeele, Kapellmeister-organist at St Walburga's church in Bruges, had noticed De Graeve's musical talent and offered him financial support to pay for his studies. De Graeve first studied at the Municipal Conservatory with Joseph Hunsaenger (solfège), Ernest de Brauwere (piano) and Louis Maes (organ), and subsequently at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels with Paul Gilson and Gustave Huberti (harmony), Edgar Tinel (counterpoint and fugue) and Alphonse Desmet (organ).

After graduating De Graeve earned his living as a teacher. In 1908 he was appointed as music teacher at the Spermalie Institute for the Blind in Bruges and in 1914 as a teacher of solfège at the Bruges conservatory. He combined his teaching assignment with a function as Kapellmeister-organist at the princely beguinage, at St John's hospital and at St Maudlin's church in Bruges.

His compositional oeuvre mainly comprises vocal works, especially biblical plays, motets and religious songs. In 1912 in Bruges at the craftsmen's ceremonial guildhall the première took place of his biblical play Samuel, on a text by Marcel Breyne. This performance was staged by the theatrical society of the 'Christen Vlaams Verbond' (Christian Flemish League), together with a choir of as many as 230 singers and a big orchestra. Furthermore De Graeve wrote music for De blindgeborene (The Person Born Blind) by Aloïs Walgraeve, Joas by Godfried Hermans, Kerstnacht (Christmas Night) by Frans Dewitte, Vrede op aarde (Peace on Earth) by Aloïs Walgraeve and De verloren zoon (The Prodigal Son) by Joseph Vanden Berghe. His oeuvre also includes two Masses, both composed in 1913: the Missa in honorem Sancti Antonii (for two mixed voices with organ) and the Missa Benedicamus Domino (for four voices and orchestra), the latter dedicated to canon P. A. Naeghels. In addition to religious songs, such as De engel des heren (The Lord's Angel) on a text by the Revd. Father Frans Dewitte and Psalm by Albrecht Rodenbach, De Graeve also composed some profane songs with titles such as De sage van koning Hagen, Studentenstrijdlied, Brugs meilied, Zegemars, De beiaard van Brugge, Ik ken!..., Het bier van Vlaanderen, Kom binnen en Ons Huisje (King Hagen's Saga, Students' Militant Song, Bruges May Song, Triumphal March, The Carillon of Bruges, I Know!..., Flanders' Beer, Come in and Our Little House).

In the field of instrumental music De Graeve mostly composed organ works: a Fug(h)etta, a Sonate and the Sint-Lutgardisoptocht (St Lutgardis' Procession).