During this special concert on January 24th in the Main Hall of TivoliVredenburg, the Netherlands Chamber Choir kicks off its anniversary year. Featuring a cross-section of the music with which the choir has shone over the past decades, we will do justice to all those dozens of conductors, hundreds of singers, and thousands of compositions.
In 2027, we celebrate 90 years since the Netherlands Chamber Choir gave its very first concert. On Friday, October 15, 1937, a chamber choir—then still performing under the name Pro Musica—gave a performance conducted by Felix de Nobel in the VARA studio on Heuvellaan in Hilversum. The program featured a curious combination of works by Brahms, several folk songs arranged by conductor De Nobel, and Morgenrood, the socialist anthem written by De Nobel's father, Otto de Nobel.
Although the year of its inception—1937, with its very first school milk program and its anxious neutrality—does not seem entirely alien to the times we live in today, much has both changed and remained the same for the Netherlands Chamber Choir. While the Netherlands Chamber Choir has continuously adapted to societal developments over all these years—much like a sunflower following the sun—it has also steadfastly stood behind everyone seeking beauty, emotion, or solace throughout that time.
During this concert conducted by chief conductor Peter Dijkstra, we span over 400 years of music: from the polyphony of Sweelinck to the motets of Bruckner, and from Poulenc's Mass from 1937 to Frank Martin's Songs of Ariel, composed specifically for the Netherlands Chamber Choir. Music by Ton de Leeuw—perhaps the Netherlands' most important composer of chamber choir works—will resound, while the 21st century is represented by Caroline Shaw and the young composer Mees Vervuurt. The latter composed Stretch, a piece about aging, especially for this concert. Furthermore, the youngest generation of talented singers, NKK NXT, will also make an appearance: they will perform Eva Ugalde's Miserere.
In addition, the Netherlands Chamber Choir will present its latest CD titled Legacy: an album entirely dedicated to works composed specifically for the choir.
The history of the Netherlands Chamber Choir in a nutshell, a wonderful kickoff to our anniversary year.
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck Or sout loué l'Eternel
Caroline Shaw and the swallow
Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc Messe en Sol majeur
Ton de Leeuw A cette heure du jour
Frank Martin Songs of Ariel
Mees Vervuurt Stretch (world premier)
Eva Ugalde Misere (sung by NKK NXT)
Josef Anton Bruckner Locus iste
Josef Anton Bruckner Ave Maria
Josef Anton Bruckner Christus factus est
