Music theatre

This semi-scenic piece was performed at the Maria van de bloeiende Betuwe Chapel near Bemmel during the Ommetje Lingezegen festival by Gerrie de Vries, Elster Mannenkoor and AVAAZ selectie orkest conducted by Marcus de Haard. The festival lasted for 10 days, and every day this 8 minute scene was played 7 times. The chapel were the performances took place lay in the middle of a field where at the end of World War 2 a fierce and brutal battle took place. Lots of soldiers from both German and allied forces let their lives on this battlefield. Most members of the male choir were born in this area and some of them were little boys when the battle took place. Now most of them were in their 70's. The scene started off with the choir spread out over the field singing parts of children songs and nursery rhymes in Dutch, English and German. While singing they moved slowly towards the chapel where the accordeon ensemble and mezzo-soprano where situated. The choir singers eventually formed a circle around the audience, repeatedly singing the word 'dolorosa'. In the second part of the piece the mezzo-soprano is singing a poem by Adriaan Roland Holst, urging the listeners to be mild and gentle towards each other. The choir comments with short phrases taken from the gregorian requiem mass and the Stabat Mater. O quam tristis Laten wij zacht zijn voor elkander, kind – et afflicta want, o de maatloze verlatenheden, die over onze moegezworven leden fuit illa benedicta, onder de sterren waaie' in de oude wind. Mater Unigeniti! O, laten wij maar zacht zijn, en maar niet het trotse hoge woord van liefde spreken, want hoeveel harten moesten daarom breken onder de wind in hulpeloos verdriet. Eia, Mater, fons amoris
 me sentire vim doloris
 fac, ut tecum lugeam. Wij zijn maar als de blaren in de wind ritselend langs de zoom van oude wouden, en alles is onzeker, en hoe zouden wij weten wat alleen de wind weet, kind – Quando corpus morietur,
 fac, ut animae donetur
 paradisi gloria. En laten wij omdat wij eenzaam zijn nu onze hoofden bij elkander neigen, en wijl wij same' in 't oude waaien zwijgen binnen één laatste droom gemeenzaam zijn. In paradisum deducant te Angeli: Veel liefde ging verloren in de wind, en wat de wind wil zullen wij nooit weten; en daarom – voor we elkander weer vergeten – laten wij zacht zijn voor elkander, kind. et lux perpetua luceat eis.