Please note: this concert will take place at the Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg, a 10 minute walk from AB (KVS-BOL, Lakensestraat 146, 1000 Brussels).

Canadian singer-songwriter Glenn (Beverly Glenn-Copeland) had to wait a long time for recognition. His compelling debut Beverly Copeland dates from 1970, follow-up Beverly Glenn-Copeland was released in 1971, and Keyboard Fantasies – his ambient pièce de résistance from 1986 –marks its 40th anniversary next year.

It was only in the 21st century that his work really got noticed and (re)discovered. De Standaard: “Such a long incubation period has one advantage: the maturing process, including the transition to man, is deeply rooted.” When Keyboard Fantasies was reimagined in 2021, artists like Bon Iver and Arca were keen to collaborate. The reissue of the original album received the Polaris Heritage Prize in 2020, an award recognising classic Canadian albums. Previous winners included Neil Young, Arcade Fire and Feist.

More recently, Glenn worked with Sam Smith and Devendra Banhart for the album Transa, conceived as a celebration of the trans community, which also featured ANOHNI, André 3000, Bill Callahan and Adrianne Lenker. His latest album The Ones Ahead (2023) was highly praised internationally. De Standaard: “Golden voice. Fantastic that he was able to make this wonderful album”, and also The Irish Times: “Another mysterious milestone performed in an amplified emotional register.”

But the best quote we read about Beverly Glenn-Copeland was in Pitchfork: “It’s deeply moving to witness BGC survive, to watch the next generations find their freedom in him. When the spotlight found him, it felt, in part, one of those rare moments when a true genius - a Black, Canadian trans man in his seventies who made one of the best electronic records of the 20th Century - who could coo like Billie Holiday and croon like Frank Sinatra and command like Buffy Saint-Marie and run like Beyoncé and probably even, if he wanted to, rip your soul in half like Diamanda Galás but instead chose to heal it like nobody else.”

Caribou: “I've been moved to tears watching Glenn play, or seeing him speak during his concerts. The emotional heft of Glenn's music hit me very immediately and very potently. I can't think of any other music that has elicited that kind of response.”

Moor Mother: “What struck me about his music was how beautiful it was, but also how fearless. I call him the godfather of fearlessness.”

Robyn: “Keyboard Fantasies is one of the most beautiful records I have ever listened to.”

And then we haven’t even mentioned what Arca, Bon Iver, Romy (The xx), Courtney Barnett, Blood Orange or Sam Smith had to say. They all have one thing in common: they are rabid fans of Beverly Glenn-Copeland or Glenn (as he prefers to be called).

Special guest: Elizabeth Copeland (CAN)
Special guest is none other than Elizabeth Copeland: theatre-maker, writer (of Jazz: Nature’s Improvisation, among other things), producer, art educator and Glenn’s better half. Her work is to be found at the intersection of art and activism. Elizabeth coproduced Glenn’s most recent tour and was/is also a part of the backing band. Together, they believe in the power of art to change lives.

Especially for her, Glenn wrote Harbour (Song For Elizabeth):
“You're my harbour
My rainbow
My promise
Of tomorrow
And my heart aches
When your tears flow
But then spring breaks
And that's all I know.”

Want to know more about Glenn? Then check out the rediscovery of BGC (Listeners Found Beverly Glenn-Copeland. It Was Time. - The New York Times) or how BGC influenced the music of Robyn Devendra Banhart and Lafawndah (WePresent | The inspiring magic of Beverly Glenn-Copeland). The British documentary Keyboard Fantasies: The Beverly Glenn-Copeland Story (2019) is also a heartwarming recommendation for those wanting to delve into the rise of this black trans musician.