It has become a comforting fixture on The Hague’s cultural calendar. For the sixth year, the Residentie Bach Ensembles are organizing the All Souls’ Day Concert in collaboration with the Kloosterkerk, and this year also with the Nieuwe Badkapel in Scheveningen. This year, the Residentie Chamber Choir will sing. On Sunday, November 2nd, the Nieuwe Badkapel will perform classics such as Purcell’s funeral music and Dowland’s “Flow My Tears.” Surprising contemporary music by Morten Lauridsen and Leonard Cohen will also be performed, the latter in a special arrangement for the Chamber Choir. Charlotte van der Leest of the Nieuwe Badkapel and Rienk Lanooy of the Kloosterkerk will further enhance this concert by reciting the names of those who have passed away and by reciting the moving poem “Gedenkdag” (Remembrance Day) by Marinus van den Berg.
Tangible comfort
“ Loss. We all experience it,” says Rienk Lanooy. “Remembering together connects us. It ensures that we hold on to those we miss. That is precisely the meaning of All Souls’ Day on November 2nd. And what better way to commemorate than with music? This concert meets a great need: reflecting together on the loved ones and friends who have passed away. Candles are lit for them, their names are read aloud, and inspiring texts are interspersed with the music. These are age-old rituals, recognizable to everyone. And then comfort becomes tangible.”
New dimension to age-old ritual
“All Souls’ Day is a memorial day in the Roman Catholic tradition,” Charlotte van der Leest explains. “On All Souls’ Day, prayers are said for the deceased. Relatives visit the graves of their loved ones and lay flowers or light a candle. In some churches, a requiem mass is celebrated. This All Souls’ Day concert, beyond church tradition, gives a new, comforting dimension to a centuries-old ritual.” Concertgoers have the opportunity to submit the names of their deceased loved ones. These names will be read aloud during the concert.
All Souls’ Day Concert
Sunday, November 2, 4:00 PM
New Bathroom Chapel, Nieuwe Parklaan 90
- Bachkoor Residence
- Brass Ensemble Residentie Bach Orchestra
- Rodrigo Lluch conductor
- Geerten van de Wetering piano and organ
- Charlotte van der Leest and Rienk Lanooy connecting texts
Entrance fees (including refreshments afterward): €22.50; children up to 25 years €10; Stork Pass €10
Tickets are available via www.bachensembles.nl
