The musical life of the Congregation of Saint Philip Neri’s Oratorians from Chièvres and Braine-le- Comte in the 17th Century

From the beginning of the 17th century, the Catholic Revival influenced considerably the soundscape of the Southern Nederlands. In this context of spiritual renewal, a whole host of settlements of new orders appeared. This is the case of the « philippian » Oratorians from the italian Congregation of Saint Philip Neri. Unlike the french « berullian » Oratorians, instigated by Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle, the philippian Oratorians were attached to religious freedom and independence in which music was both individual and collective. We will look at two localities of the Hainaut : Chièvres and Braine-le-Comte. It will allow us to see the Oratorians’ musical life through a selected archival collection. More widely, this analysis will be the occasion for us to highlight the place of these Oratorians in the soundscape of the Hainaut during the 17th century and also to show the heritage from the italian Renaissance through this institution.