The internationally renowned star flutist Eline van Esch from The Hague will take you on a journey into the special magic of Carl Reinecke’s flute concerto during the Sunday afternoon concert on 6 April 2025. A work from the Romantic period that will evoke deep emotions in you. Eline will be accompanied by the Hague Symphony Orchestra Carpe Diem. Under the inspiring leadership of conductor Marco Bons, the concert begins with the “wake up call” of Beethoven’s Overture “Egmont”. And after Eline, the orchestra will perform Franz Schubert’s 2nd Symphony: with the cheerful and vibrant atmosphere of a New Year’s concert and music that is very reminiscent of Mozart. Wonderful to play but especially to come and listen to. You are most welcome!
The St. Matthew Passion. For many music lovers, Easter, and even spring, has not begun without this masterpiece by Johann Sebastian Bach. This also applies to Residentie Bachkoor (RBK). The piece is in the singers’ DNA. On Sunday 13 April, the RBK will perform the passion story in Amare in The Hague. A truly Hague performance with the cooperation of the Hague Bach Orchestra, the Hague Sailors’ Choir and, for the last time, under the direction of Jos Vermunt. The best start to spring.
Matthew specialist
The St. Matthew Passion tells the story of the betrayal, trial and crucifixion of Jesus during his last days. The music and lyrics depict deeply human feelings that even the listener of the twenty-first century can identify with.The Residentie Bachkoor can call itself a true St. Matthew specialist. The performance of this piece of music has been a tradition since the seventies. The RBK worked together with the Residentie Orchestra for many years under the direction of conductors such as Jan Willem de Vriend, Richard Egarr and Jaap van Zweden. In 2006, the Residentie Bachkoor, conducted by Jos Vermunt, recorded the Dutch St. Matthew Passion, in the retranslation by Jan Rot. The CD was awarded a gold record.
Last St. Matthew Passion for Jos Vermunt
Conductor Jos Vermunt will be the musical director. This will be his last St. Matthew Passion with the Residentie Bachkoor. After 30 years as the permanent conductor, he will be saying goodbye. A farewell without the St. Matthew Passion is of course unthinkable. “I am really looking forward to this concert. We all know the great emotions that Bach expresses in this music, whether you are religious or not.” Regina Oosting, chair of the RBK: “For us as a choir, this is a special concert; the piece that we love to perform with Jos and in which he repeatedly made us discover new things in this masterful piece. This will be the last time with our beloved conductor. We will enjoy his inspiring leadership more than ever.”
Soloists with international allure
The Residentie Bachkoor performs the St. Matthew Passion with Keren Motseri, Carina Vinke, Jan-Willem Schaafsma and Florian Just. Clemens Löschman can be heard as the evangelist and Maarten Koningsberger as Christ. Each and every one of them are soloists with allure who have earned their spurs on (inter)national concert stages.
A truly Dutch tradition
The St. Matthew Passion has been performed in the Netherlands for over 150 years. Bach wrote the work for the church service on Good Friday in the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. After his death, the piece was forgotten for a long time, but 100 years later Felix Mendelssohn breathed new life into the St. Matthew Passion. In 1870, the score ended up in the Netherlands, where conductor Woldemar Bargiel performed the work for the first time with Toonkunst Rotterdam. The beginning of what would eventually become a true Dutch tradition.
Amare Concert Hall, The Hague Sunday April 13, 2025, starting at 2:00 PM
Bach Choir Residence The Hague Sailors’ Choir Bach Orchestra Residence Clemens Löschmann – evangelist Maarten Koningsberger – Christ Keren Motseri – soprano Carina Vinke – alto Jan-Willem Schaafsma – tenor Florian Just – bass Jos Vermunt – conductor
‘Heel even klein’ reflects on motherhood and transience
Tess Merlot has released a new single:Heel even klein, an ode to her daughter Lila, who was born in October. The singer, who is known for her French-language chansons, wrote the song as a Dutch-language answer toTes malabars, a song from her most recent albumChante la vie, which was released last year.Heel even kleincan now be heard on all streaming services.
rench question, Dutch answer Tess wrote Tes malabars in the summer of 2023 together with French songwriter Zoé Simpson, during a six-week stay in Paris. In that song, the singer from The Hague wonders whether motherhood is for her and whether it can be combined with a life as an artist. With the Dutch version, Heel even klein , Tess answers these questions herself. The text was written barely four weeks after the birth of her daughter and was performed live a day later during the SintvoorIeder1 campaign by Omroep West and other local broadcasters in South Holland. The overwhelmingly positive reactions made Tess decide to officially record and release the song.
‘Time flies’ Tess Merlot: “With a newborn, your life is turned upside down and your world suddenly seems very small. It was very nice in that cocoon, but you also know that there comes a time when you have to step out of it. I was very aware of that during that period and writing Heel even klein was my way of capturing all the feelings surrounding this event. Time flies, and this song is a reminder of how important it is to stand still for the small moments, even if they are not always a pink cloud.”
Video clip with ‘the children of’ The single is accompanied by a matching video clip , made in collaboration with the Hague children’s jacket brand Cotè and the vintage children’s clothing brand Tiny Toko from Oegstgeest. The children of the makers play a role in the video, which was recorded in Oegstgeest and directed and produced by Esther Geuskens. The video clip lovingly shows how quickly children grow up and how valuable it is to consciously enjoy the little moments.
‘Heel even klein’ can be heard on all streaming platforms from today. The video clip can be viewed on Youtube .
About Tess Merlot Tess Merlot is a singer from The Hague who grew up in Boskoop and is an advocate of French-language music. In 2019 she released her single Mon Paris, which she performed in a sold-out Paradiso and was called ‘the French summer hit of the year’ by Leo Blokhuis. In recent years she has played her own show in sold-out venues in the Netherlands, Belgium and Western Australia and has appeared on television in shows such as Matthijs gaat door, Tijd voor Max and EditieNL. On 25 November 2023, Tess Merlot played with the Residentie Orkest in a sold-out main hall of the Hague pop venue PAARD. Her second album Chante la vie was released in 2024. For more information, visit www.tessmerlot.com .
Guitarist Marc Lezwijn accompanies the choir in a few songs, including a song about a Mexican witch who devours sailors. During an intermezzo he alternates the choir with solo guitar playing.
The concert will take place in the Houtrustkerk, Beeklaan 535 (corner of Houtrustlaan), The Hague and starts at 3:00 PM.
Admission is €15, including coffee/tea during the break and a drink afterwards. Children up to 12 years old can enter for free. You can make a reservation at info@vocesdelmundo.nl and transfer the amount to account NL45 INGB 0008 8335 82 of Voces del Mundo.
Voces del Mundo is a polyphonic choir and consists of 45 male and female singers, divided into four voice groups. The choir sings with great enthusiasm and pleasure (a capella) under the direction of conductor Jorina van Bergen. As far as is known, Voces del Mundo is the only choir of its kind in the region of The Hague. New male singers are very welcome!
Leela James has carved out a unique place in the music world, merging classic soul and contemporary R&B. With her raw, powerful voice, she tells stories of love, strength and vulnerability. She draws inspiration from greats such as Aretha Franklin and Chaka Khan, but puts her own modern spin on it. On 13 January, she can be seen in the Paard.
Leela is known for her passion, musicality and impressive live performances. Early in her career, she was even honoured by none other than James Brown, who called her ‘The Goddaughter of Soul’. This was an acknowledgement of her authentic voice and deep connection to the roots of the genre.
