Merodefestival Tickets
← What's on

Saturday 12 December 2026 · 8 pm

A Christmas tale after Felix Timmermans

En waar de ster bleef stille staan

Abdij van Averbode, Averbode

Sold out
En waar de ster bleef stille staan

After the success of their tale about Wannes Raps, Reineke Van Hooreweghe and Toon Van Mierlo are heading out again with the same team — this time with Felix Timmermans. A small step: it was Timmermans himself who illustrated Ernest Claes's book.

In En waar de ster bleef stille staan (1924), three vagabonds go from door to door as the Three Kings through the wintry Kempen landscape: Suskewiet, Pitje Vogel and Schrobberbeeck. What begins as a ruse to get some food and a drink becomes a story about poverty, guilt and grace.

Toon and Reineke rework it into a musical tale, spoken word and live music, sober and acoustic. Five performances in the Merode Landscape Park, where the story returns to the landscape where it belongs.

The orchestra consists of Johan Behaeghel, Mieke Delanote, Mieke De Pooter, Hilde Diels, Wouter Mangelschots, Lise Mergaerts, Lore Moons, Maité Weuts, Casper Teirlinck, Hanne Van Assche, Marie Van Doninck, Toon Van Mierlo, Fien Verbeke and Jolien Wils.

Organised by Merodefestival, Folkmjusic vzw, Stamineeke Webbekom, Westelfolk, Dafodil and Celtic Art Gallery Ham, as part of Folkwaarts, with the support of cultuur en erfgoed de Merode.

Watch and listen