HENDRIK TOBI – SACRED MUSIC

The Sacred Music of Tobi
To earn a living as a musician in Antwerp by playing music, one had to be a member of the music guild of Saint Job and Saint Mary Magdalene. Only then could you be asked to perform music for pay during various festivities, processions, and church services. The Antwerp music guild was one of the poorest in the city and had its own chapel in the Church of Saint James with a so-called “guild room,” where meetings were held but also where drinking, cooking, eating, and smoking took place. Tobi served as the dean of his guild three times. Consequently, he was well connected in the musical circles of Antwerp. We also know that from 1768 onwards, Tobi regularly played the cello in the Church of Saint James, and he must have felt a strong connection to this place, as the church register shows that he had his nine children baptized there. Rik and Marieke lived for almost thirty years in what is now called Meistraat, nearby. The Church of Saint James was one of the wealthier churches in the city. Since the early seventeenth century, the church had employed a dozen musicians, and in Tobi’s time, there must have been around fifteen musicians on staff. These probably received support from unpaid volunteers, especially on holidays, and the number of musicians on the payroll in the eighteenth century always depended on the financial support of prominent parishioners. This was the same for every church in Antwerp.

We know that Tobi continued to play in the cathedral, but he also helped embellish the liturgy in the Church of Saint Andrew, located in a much poorer parish in Antwerp. It was situated near the notorious Boeksteeg and was known as a rough neighborhood where many prostitutes operated. His youngest son, Henricus Josephus, would become a chorister there, and in 1785, his second son, Joannes Franciscus Josephus Tobi, was appointed as a cantor of that Church of Saint Andrew. It is for this church and his two musical sons that Hendrik Tobi composed his spiritual works. Somewhere between 1800 and 1807, Tobi must have written seven motets, which have been found in the archives of the Church of Saint Andrew. The archive mentions ‘H.J. Tobi père’ as the composer, clearly referring to Hendrik Joseph Tobi. Another major composition is his Mass for choir, organ, and orchestra, presumably dating from 1807.

The “Dixit Dominus” for choir (SSTTBB) and wind ensemble stands out due to its simple instrumental arrangement: two clarinets in B-flat, two bassoons, and bass. This psalm text deals with Christ as King, Priest, and Messiah and was traditionally used during Vespers. Famous settings include those by Vivaldi, Handel, and Mozart. The “Laudate Pueri” is richer in texture due to the addition of two horns to the existing wind ensemble and the introduction of the alto part in the choir. The “Tantum Ergo” is a composition for four-part choir and full orchestra: the four string parts, supplemented by two oboes and two horns. The text deals with the holy sacrament and was sung at the moment of the Eucharist. Finally, the “Nisi Dominus” is a motet for four-part choir, strings, and two horns and two clarinets. This also involves a psalm text used during Vespers. Noteworthy in this composition is the exceptional expression in the solo voices.

The quality of this music is undoubtedly remarkable, and Tobi demonstrates a style that aligns more with the church styles of Mozart and Haydn from the 1780s. Judging by the musical and technical quality of these compositions, it is impossible to think that these two compositions are the only works Tobi ever wrote. They are the works of a seasoned composer who was already in his sixties at that time. Presumably, Rik Tobi wrote many other church compositions, but these remain unknown to this day. Nevertheless, both compositions provide a beautiful showcase of the quality of music written for the Antwerp churches during the so-called French era..

David Vergauwen