Dress in Choral Evensongs in the Dutch Context: Appropriation and Transformation of Religiosity in the Netherlands

Abstract

In this article the appropriation of the Anglican choral evensong in the Netherlands, outside the context of the Anglican church, and more specifically the dress in the choral evensong will be investigated in order to gain more insight into religiosity in the Netherlands. The authors will explore which kind of dress is worn in choral evensongs in the Netherlands and which meanings participants attribute to the dress. As an analytic tool the concepts of denotational and connotational meanings are used. Main conclusion of the research is that dress in choral evensong points to a transformation of religiosity. By wearing Anglican dress, choirs indicate to belong to the high-quality sound group of English cathedral choirs; through this position choir members criticize the traditional reformed emphasis on spoken words. At the same time, by changing the Anglican 'dress code', choirs emphasize their unicity and individuality, independent of church traditions. Lastly, choir members refer to unarticulated transcendental experiences by wearing ritual liturgical dress.