New European songbook to stimulate cultural exchange in EU

The European Union Songbook Association will on 5 November launch the EU songbook. It will include 164 songs from all over the European Union. Among them are three songs by Belgian singer and composer Jacques Brel.

The organisation is launching the book as a form of cultural exchange. More than 100 European music organisations and conservatories compiled the book. Between 2015 and 2024, citizens from the 27 member states could vote for their favourite songs.

“With the EU Songbook, we hope to connect the 27 countries of the European Union,” declared Jeppe Marsling, founder of the European Union Songbook Association. “It is intended for everyone who wants to sing at all kinds of gatherings, in the EU or outside it.”

The Belgian songs in the songbook are: “Ne me quitte pas”, “Mijn Vlakke Land” and “Bruxelles” by Jacques Brel, “Ik hou van u” by Noordkaap, “Dominique” by Soeur Sourire and “Vrolijke vrienden” by Bob Davidse. Noordkaap singer Stijn Meuris translated the Dutch-language songs into singable English versions.

The book and app are available throughout the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States. The app, which includes all 164 songs and links to YouTube, is free to download.

^{Jacques Brel rehearsing before a performance at the Olympia concert hall in Paris in 1966 © BELGA PHOTO AFP}