The Pulse of Joy

With the end of year celebrations almost upon us, composer Dirk Brossé is releasing a brandnew CD, recorded with the Brussels Philharmonic. Title track 'The Pulse of Joy' is an ode to
life, a beacon of light in these dark and difficult times. Its infectious heartbeat is a perfect
fusion of classical and modern music. It pulsates with positive energy and revives the soul.
‘In Memoriam Avicii’ has already been streamed more than 10,000 times. For this symphonic
tribute to Swedish DJ Avicii, Brossé has opted for serenity and the intimacy of a small
symphonic line-up.

Dirk Brossé has composed more than 400 works. When he released his last album 'A Symphonic Journey from Philly to Utopia' – also recorded with the Brussels Philharmonic – his next CD was already in the starting blocks. Although the inspirations for its works are very diverse, it is once again a captivating whole that immerses.

The title ‘UGent? Me2!’ is a reference to the happening Iedereen UGent (Everyone UGent). To the tones Do (C) and Sol (G) an imaginary procession of professors and dignitaries went their way from the town hall to the university. If you count carefully, you will hear the head of the theme (which is based on the letters U and G from UGent) 200 times. The U stands for UT (aka Do) and the G stands for Sol.

The inspiration for ‘DNA in Music’, for flute, string orchestra and harp was born out of a conversation with cell biologist and Nobel Prize winner Sir Paul Nurse. If DNA is the backbone of every living organism, what then is the DNA of music?

‘In Memoriam Shostakovich’, for string orchestra and percussion is dedicated post mortem to Dimitri Shostakovich, one of the greatest and most important composers of his generation.

’The Secret of the Mystic Lamb’, for Clarinet and Orchestra was inspired by the Ghent Altarpiece (aka the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb) by early Flemish painters and brothers Hubert and Jan Van Eyck. In this painting nothing is what it seems to be. The Ghent Altarpiece is brimming with symbolism and behind every detail there is a fascinating story.

‘Keep Moving’ was composed for the short film of the same name, directed by Hanne Schillemans and Ralph Timmermans (Spin Echo) and commissioned by BABC, the Beautiful After Breast Cancer Foundation. Keep Moving gives hope, courage, and strength to all women who have developed and survived breast cancer.

'In Motu' – Latin for ’in motion’ – is about movement and being in motion. Everything around us is vibrating. Everything is constantly moving, each thing at its own pace: from the slow grind of tectonic plates to the ultrafast speed of light. To me, the waves of the sea are the most fascinating of all movements. They are the never-ending heartbeat of the ocean, the breath of life and an inexhaustible fount of strength and energy. Their movement is essentially always the same and yet it is also always unique.