The festival boasts wide interest. In order to be able to guarantee smooth proceedings, regional spreading already started in 1997. This option seems to be successful and a way forward to develop the festival further and to attract an even more numerous audience. The chore events take place at Watou. Next to these events, other cities organize pre-opening evening concerts. We are pleased to be able to extend the initiative in close co-operation with municipal authorities and other organizers of artistic events. This allows starting the festival as early as 12th May.

On Saturday 12 May the first concert takes place at Dunkerque (Duinkerke) (France).
The organization is in the hands of ”Les Amis de l’église Saint-Eloi”.

On Sunday morning 13 May the liturgy will take place in the Saint-Bertinus Church at Poperinge where we are welcomed by the parish ande the municipality. In the afternoon the Festival is the guest of the municipal authorities and the friends of the organ (the “Orgel-kring") at Koksijde where a double program will be chosen depending on the newly restored organ.

On Tuesday night 15 May a concert will take place in the Cathedral Saint-Michael and Saint Gudule of Brussels with the co-operation of l’Académie de chant grégorien, the Cathedral and Davidsfonds Brussels.

On Wednesday 16 May (the day preceding the Ascension of Christ) a pre-ouverture is scheduled at Böeseghem, a small, cosy village in French-Flanders. The municipal authorities are doing their utmost to make it a successful event.

On the night of Ascension Day Thursday 17 May we are invited at Wervik where the first festival event outside Watou was organized in 1997. Thanks to the municipal authorities and the cultural organizations this evening has always been a most successful event.

On Friday 18 May a festival concert will take place at Roosdaal-Strijtem organized with the co-operation of the Province of Flemish Brabant in the framework of the Kalmkunstfestival “In de Luwte”.
On the same day, in the evening, the Festival is the guest of the cultural service at Haringe for a program of Organ and Gregorian chant.

For the most important part of the Festival we focus on Watou where four auditions, two evening concerts and six liturgical services will form the “backbone of the festival”, so to speak. In the six liturgical services Gregorian chant fully realizes its true potential.