Almost 82 years ago, when the Netherlands was occupied by German forces, Peter Tazelaar travelled from England to Scheveningen by boat. Under his waterproof clothing he wore a tuxedo. Before going ashore, he removed his waterproofs and splashed himself with brandy in order to blend in with the party-goers he expected to find there. But the beach was empty. A curfew had been imposed and he would have been shot immediately had he been seen.

On 22nd November, we remembered Tazelaar and his spirit of resistance. In a closed group, we toasted his memory with Hennessy XO, the same brandy as he had used to disguise himself. Tazelaar had received the bottle from Queen Wilhelmina. I sang “We’ll meet again.”

I’m looking forward to giving an evening recital as part of a series of concerts about language and music. Together with pianist Han Louis Meijer, I will present different musical settings of poems by W.B. Yeats, A.E. Housman, and John Masefield. Composers include Amy Summers, Rebecca Clarke, Dilys Elwyn Evans, Benjamin Britten, and George Butterworth.

Thursday, 30th November, 2023, 20:15, De Leidse Salon, Leiden. For tickets, please visit this webpage.

On Wednesday, 15th November, pianist Lieselotte van Tol and I will give a recital of early-twentieth century and romantic music in Schiedam, the Netherlands.

For more information, please visit this webpage.

I’m delighted to be joining conductor Ronald Corp, the New London Orchestra, Highgate Choral Society, and soloists Gweneth Ann Rand, Ruairi Bowen, and Felix Kemp for a performance of Elijah in London this Saturday. The alto solos are glorious and include singing as Elijah’s guiding angel and as Queen Jezebel.

Saturday, 11th November, 2023, 19:00. For tickets, please visit this webpage.

On Tuesday, 7th November, Lieselotte van Tol and I will give a lunchtime recital in Leiden, the Netherlands. We will present a programme of mostly romantic music from France, Germany, and England.

For more information, in Dutch, please visit this webpage.