“ For the national festival of 1880 at Brussels, to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Belgian independence, Hiel composed two cantatas, Belgenland (“The Land of the Belgians”) and Eer Belgenland (“Honour to Belgium”) , which, set to music, were much appreciated. He died at Schaerbeek, near Brussels, on the 27th of August 1899. ”

“ HIEL, EMMANUEL (1834–1899) , Belgian-Dutch poet and prose writer, was born at Dendermonde, in Flanders, in May 1834. He acted in various functions, from teacher and government official to journalist and bookseller, busily writing all the time both for the theatre and the magazines of North and South Netherlands. His last posts were those of librarian at the Industrial Museum and professor of declamation at the Conservatoire in Brussels. ”

“ De Wind (1869) , an inspiriting cantata, which had a large measure of success and was crowned; De Liefde in ’t Leven (“Love in Life,” 1870) ; Elle and Isa (two musical dramas, 1874) ; Liederen voor Groote en Kleine Kinderen (“Songs for Big and Small Folk,” 1879) ”