Camil Van Hulse

Camil van Hulse's father, Gustaaf van Hulse, was composer and organist of the deanery church of St. Nicholas. His mother, Mary Pelagia Coppens, was a gifted pianist and singer. At age six, Camil got his first musical education in piano and music theory, and later in harmony and counterpoint, from his father, a disciple of Edgar Tinel. By the age of twelve, he was able to play the organ, lead a choir, and sing Gregorian chant from attending church services with his father. From then on, he regularly substituted for his father as organist and conductor.

Van Hulse attended school in Sint-Niklaas at the St. Joseph Institute and then studied Greek and Latin at the St. Joseph Minor Seminary, a Roman Catholic college which provided basic training for the priesthood. He followed this course until the first quarter of his third year, after which he devoted himself entirely to music. In addition to his passion for music, he also loved to read. He kept in touch with his former teachers and old college friends.

At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, van Hulse joined the military at the age of seventeen. During the war, he suffered exposure to poison gas and was told that he had six months to live. He also suffered from tuberculosis.[1]

In 1919, he began study at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp despite his poor health. He studied with Edward Verheyden (harmony and composition), Frans Lenaert (piano), Constant Lenaert (chamber music), and Lodewijk Mortelmans (counterpoint). That same year, he succeeded his father as organist at St. Nicholas Church in Sint-Niklaas. In 1922, he was awarded the prize for harmony with highest distinction and the Royal Medal, as well as the Albert De Vleeschouwer prize. In 1923 he was awarded the highest distinction for piano and the Royal Medal.

After graduating, van Hulse's first concern was his health. His doctor told him that he would benefit from a warm and dry climate. Therefore, he moved to Oklahoma in September 1923 and then to Tucson, Arizona, at that time one of the most musical cities in America. Tucson is also known for its favorable climate for pulmonary patients. After spending a summer in Tucson, where the temperature is close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, he felt much better and decided to stay there. During that time he also changed the spelling of his name from Kamiel to Camil.

In 1924, he married Augusta Nijs, a woman to whom he had already been engaged in Belgium. They had two children, Lesghinka and Aziadé.

For van Hulse, the musical life of Tucson was of great importance. He gave private lessons in piano, organ, harmony, and counterpoint. In 1924 he was given a permanent position as organist at All Saints Church, and later he became organist and choirmaster of Ss. Peter and Paul Church. He was the founding conductor of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. He combined this work with a busy career as a concert pianist. As a composer, he published 130 works. He composed music in all major genres except opera. Van Hulse maintained the late romantic style, but combined this with modern trends such as Expressionism. In 1956, he retired in order to devote himself entirely to composition. His compositions received numerous awards. In addition to his professional career as a musician, he was also a skilled linguist and is included in the Dictionary of Linguists. He also has a place in the Dictionary of Musicians.

In 1930, Camil van Hulse returned to Belgium for the first time. For a while, he traveled back to his native country every two years to visit his family and friends. In 1946 he won four prizes - two awarded by the Society of Arizona Composers for an instrumental composition Suite for Cello and Piano and for a vocal number, and 'The Beatitudes', a choral work with piano and organ accompaniment (first presented in Tucson on 8 May that year). A fourth prize was the national J. Fischer & Bro. prize from the American Guild of Organists, won with his 'Toccata' for Grand Organ.[2]

In 1957, the Bibliotheca Wasiana organized a tribute concert in honor of his sixtieth birthday. For the 750th anniversary of the city of Sint-Niklaas, he wrote The Ballad of the Six Knights for orchestra, choir and baritone solo on a text by Anton van Wilderode.

Camil van Hulse died at the age of 91 in Tucson, Arizona.

• Archive Bibliotheca Wasiana, Sint-Niklaas