11/11/2024
The Great War Remembered Concert
The concert that helps to support our mission.
Annual concert on Armistice Day
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Great War Remembered – 2025: Resilience
Each year, The Great War Remembered concert honours the memory of those who fell in Flanders Fields. In the historic setting of Ieper’s cathedral, music, images and history come together to reflect on the sacrifice made for our freedom.
The 2025 theme is Resilience – the quiet strength of soldiers in the trenches, the endurance of civilians rebuilding their lives, and the determination of a city that rose from the ruins to remember. This concert brings their stories to life through music and authentic wartime images.
By remembering their resilience, we renew our commitment to peace and freedom.
We will remember them.
- Music
- Images
- Hymns & songs
CONCERT 2025
- Sunday 09/11/2025: 17.00 & 20.15
- Tuesday 11/11/2025: 17.00
- numbered seats; e-tickets only
Where words fail, music speaks
Our participants 2025
Royal Harmony Ypriana
Band
The Royal Ypriana Concert Band, led for more than 25 years by director Nico Logghe, is a contemporary music ensemble with over 80 gifted musicians, some of who are professional players.
What makes the band so distinctive is the comfortable manner in which they feel ‘at home’ with many different kinds of music.
Ypres Surrey Pipes & Drums
Band
The Ypres Surrey Pipes and Drums first saw the light of day in 2007. Under the leadership of Pipe-Major Eric Remy, the YSPD has grown not only into a fine band, but also a close group of friends. Weekly rehearsals over many years allow the group to perform as a complete and harmonious musical whole.
Last Post Association
Buglers
The Last Post is daily played under the Menin Gate in honour of the memory of the soldiers of the former British Empire and its allies, who died in the Ypres Salient during the First World War.
Chorus
Choir
With approximately 75 singers, the four-voice adult choir Chorus Canta is known for its broad repertoire.
Chorus Lumina is the youth choir and consists of around 30 enthusiastic young people. In the spring, they won the audience award at the Arte Musicale Choir Festival.
Both choirs are led by conductor Tine Devoghel, who, with her expertise and passion for music, continually stimulates and inspires both groups.
Lies verholle
Soprano
Lies Verholle soon discovered a passion for singing. She studied classical singing at the School of Arts in Ghent. She has collaborated with Belgian conductors such as Michel Tilkin, Henk Soenen, Jan Vuye, Nico Logghe, and can frequently be seen on concert stages.
Since 2014, in addition to her work as a solo singer, Lies regularly sings with the choir of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen and the choir of De Munt.
Wannes Cappelle
Singer
We all know Wannes Cappelle. With Het Zesde Metaal he released ‘Het langste jaar‘, the band’s sixth studio album, in early 2024. Songs like ‘Ploegsteert‘, ‘Gie, den otto en ik‘ and ‘Naar de wuppe‘ are now part of the collective memory. Wannes is a regular guest at the Koninklijke Harmonie Ypriana and on The Great War Remembered concerts.
Michiel Libberecht - Mooneye
Singer
Mooneye released their second album, ‘Come With Me And Hide‘, in 2024. Frontman Michiel Libberecht toured atmospheric theatres in the spring of 2025, performing stripped-down, intimate versions of various hits.
Libberecht’s emotional music will also come to full right in the theatrical setting of St. Martin’s Cathedral.
Photo: Valerie De Backer
Frans Grapperhaus
Cellist
It is not only classical music (including Bach) that appeals to Dutch cellist Frans Grapperhaus. He has played with Mauro Pawlowski, Kommil Foo and Anouk, among others, and made a beautiful record with Broeder Dieleman and Wannes Cappelle. He also created the theatre production “Maanziek” with Wannes and Wouter Deprez. Virtuoso musicality combined with unbridled passion… Frans Grapperhaus.
Photo: Luk Vilain
Ian Ji
Violinist
Ian Ji (born in Ypres) began studying the violin at the age of 8. In 2024, he completed his master’s degree in violin with Yuzuko Horigome, first prize winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 1980. Ian has attended several masterclasses, including Les Nuits Pianistiques in 2019, the International Violin Academy in 2020, organised by Rodney Friend, and has taken lessons from many international professors. He also participated in the Talent Music Summer Courses 2023 in Brescia, Italy.
Lowie Vercammen
Accordionist
Lowie Vercammen (born in 1998) started playing music at the age of 8 and took up the accordion a year later. In recent years, Lowie has participated in various national and international accordion competitions and won many prizes.
He is regularly asked to perform as a soloist in various wind, string and symphony orchestras. He currently also teaches at the Municipal Academy of Vilvoorde and the Academy (Ieper).
Stuart D Samson MBE
Piper
Scottish Stuart Samson started playing the bagpipes at the age of 8. He joined the army and became director of Army Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming and participated in The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. After his army career, he taught and became a judge for the Solo Piping Judges Association, which allowed him to judge all major solo bagpipe competitions. Since 2007, he has been director of Massed Pipes and Drums at The Basel Tattoo in Switzerland.
Benjamin Luyckx
Organist
Benjamin (born in 1986) took the step towards professional music training at the age of 19. He studied organ at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven with Peter Pieters and Luk Bastiaens.
In February 2014, Benjamin became official organist at St Martin’s and St Nicholas’ Cathedral in Ieper. He also accompanies the St Nicholas Men’s Choir and the St Martin’s Youth Choir.
Debbie Manhaeve
Word art
Debbie Manhaeve has already performed in more than 25 productions with various companies in West and East Flanders. She has also appeared in several short films and television series.
Debbie studied Word Art, Drama and Repertoire at the Peter Benoit Institute in Harelbeke. With her group Spinsels, she continues to pursue her passion for theatre.
Debbie is the managing director of the Passchendaele Museum in Zonnebeke.
Nico Logghe
Conductor
He has made a name for himself at international music competitions and has shared major domestic stages (Sportpaleis, Dranouter). He is praised for his distinct musicality, his infectious perfectionism and his flexibility.
Nico is artistic director of the Royal Harmony Ypriana (Ieper), the Houtland Harmony Orchestra (Torhout), and the Westhoek Consort chamber orchestra. He is general director of the Academie Ieper.
Tineke Devoghel
Conductor
Since 2006, Chorus has been led by conductor Tineke Devoghel.
She works as a teacher of flute, choir and ensemble at the Art Academy in Poperinge. She plays flute and piccolo in various wind orchestras, including the Royal Wind Orchestra Ypriana (Ieper), the Houtland Wind Orchestra (Torhout) and the woodwind quintet Bois de Vivre.
Performances
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Solists
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Choirs
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Seats
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This is an overview of the seating areas for spectators.
Available options:
- All ticketholders enter through the main entrance.
- Ticketholders in Category 3 then proceed to the right to their seats.
Address
St. Martin’s Cathedral, on the Vandenpeereboomplein in Ieper (behind the Cloth Hall), was completely destroyed during the First World War and rebuilt afterwards.
Because the concert takes place during the busy 11 November period, parking opportunities in the city centre are very limited. Sufficient parking spaces are usually available on either the Minneplein (500 metres) or Oudstrijderslaan (1000 metres).
Are you looking forward to the 2026 concert?
Pre-registration 2026
It is already possible to pre-register for 2026! Fill in the form below and as soon as the tickets are available, we will let you know.
Looking back on the concert
Relive the previous editions
11/11/2024
12/11/2023
11/11/2023
11/11/2022
11/11/2022
11/11/2019
11/11/2018
11/11/2018
Supported by:
