Jan Blockx (1851-1912) and Edgar Tinel (1854-1912) were not only contemporaries, but their careers also show some remarkable similarities. For instance, both composers were not only popular at home, they each also enjoyed great international success, Tinel with his hagiographic oratorio Franciscus (1888) and Blockx with his veristic opera Herbergprinses (Inn Princess) (1896). Large-scale vocal works colour their opus lists, with piano music occupying only a modest part. On top of that both composers also played a prominent role in higher music education. Tinel succeeded the organ virtuoso and composer Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens as the second director of the Ecole de Musique Religieuse in Mechelen in 1881 and headed the Conservatoire Royal in Brussels from 1908 to 1912. During that same period, from 1901 to 1912, Blockx led the Royal Flemish Conservatoire of Antwerp as successor to composer Peter Benoit. They were therefore in frequent contact with each other.