The Vredekring (Peace Circle) was founded in 1881 by Liège metalworker Telesphore Maquet and machinist Henri De Laet. It was the very first socialist brass band in Europe. With no budget for real instruments, they began modestly as a so-called Mirliton club, named after the simple whistle. Using coffee pots and kitchen utensils, they crafted their own clarinets and saxophones.
Only later, when they were able to acquire real instruments through the Brussels company Mahillon, did the need for a new name arise. Suggestions like "De Revolutionairen," "De Proletariërs," and "De Getrapten" were considered, but Maquet ultimately convinced everyone with his preference for Cercle de la Paix—or "De Vredekring." And so, the Socialist Fanfare Band "De Vredekring" was officially born.
In 1893, disagreement within the De Werker cooperative (formerly De Vrije Bakkers cooperative) led to a rift: a group of members, including the entire brass band De Vredekring, resigned. Suddenly, the cooperative was without a musical ensemble. But this lull didn't last long. A call for members in the De Werker magazine immediately yielded fifteen enthusiastic musicians, and thus the Socialist Harmony De Werker was born. Professor Constant Hasdenteufel took charge as its first conductor, though he returned to De Vredekring that same year. His place was taken by Louis Ketels, who made the opposite transition: he left the brass band for the harmony band.
Together, the scores from these two collections tell a unique story — not only about the companies themselves, but also about creativity, camaraderie, and musical fighting spirit.
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Collection Socialist Fanfare De Vredekring:
Collection Socialist Harmony De Werker Zurenborg:
