De Vlaamsche Leeuw (‘The Flemish Lion’)

The manuscript of Karel Miry is preserved at the Ghent Conservatory. It is titled: ‘De Vlaamsche Leeuw – Nationaal gezang voor Drie stemmen zonder begeleiding (The Flemish Lion – National Song for Three Voices a cappella’. Miry signed it with the note: ‘words by H. van Peene / Music by K. Miry.’ Noteworthy are the numerous corrections, especially on the first page. The music differs from other versions with a simpler, less dotted rhythm. This work is undated, but in the top left corner, beneath the strikethroughs, the date ‘1870.71’ can be discerned, with the note ‘Boys’ above it. In this case, the manuscript could be Miry’s arrangement for a boys’ choir during the school year 1870–1871. The library of the Ghent Conservatory also holds another autograph of ‘De Vlaamse Leeuw’: an orchestral arrangement