81 years ago, on a cold November day, a Special Forces Agent crossed the sea from England to the Netherlands. A dinghy brought him near the shore at Scheveningen, a popular seaside resort near The Hague. There, donning several layers of clothing, he dived off the boat and swam ashore. Once on the beach, he removed his outer layers to reveal Black Tie clothing. In order to blend in with the party-goers, he had doused himself in Hennessy XO.

The man was not James Bond, but Dutch spy Peter Tazelaar, who was returning to the Netherlands to establish contact with England, where his Queen, Wilhelmina, was in exile.

We commemorated him and celebrated his contribution to the liberation of the Netherlands. Two ceremonies were held: one closed with a strong military presence, the other open.

With thanks to Victor Laurentius for sharing the amazing story of “De Grote Tazelaar.”

Germany contemplates the victims of war two Sundays before the first Sunday of Advent. This year, I sang at the German Military Cemetery in Ysselsteyn, the Netherlands, in the midst of over 32,000 graves. During the ceremony, we were invited to reflect on war and its consequences. The Vicar General of the Diocese of Roermond warned us about how easily war can be upon us. The Dutch Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Jacobs, spoke about how war should not be viewed in black and white, with “goodies” and “baddies,” but in a nuanced way.

Together with pianist Lieselotte van Tol, Emma performed the Leiden Anthem and a short musical interlude for the symposium of the Leiden Historical Society. They presented works by Mendelssohn, Schubert, Mahler, and Hahn.

The Dutch artist Casper Faassen celebrated his twenty year anniversary with an exhibition in the Kunsthuis and the Hooglandse Kerk and two evening programmes. Emma sang, and organised music with the Justinus Ensemble with conductor Brian Fieldhouse for dancers Chloé Albaret and Jorge Nozal.

Here is an impression of the evenings.

The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing lists over 72,000 soldiers and officers who disappeared during the Battle of the Somme. The memorial is now 90 years old and has recently been restored. Emma was invited by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to sing at the reopening ceremony last September, which was cancelled due to the period of national mourning.

On 12th September, Emma joined trumpeter Melissa Venema to provide music for a remembrance ceremony for Second World War veterans, organised by the Stichting Nederland-America. The ceremony took place at Grebbeberg war cemetery, a Dutch military war cemetery with 800 graves. During the ceremony we remembered veterans who had passed away. In particular, Emma remembered Len Fox, who was also a singer, and who sang with her on ITV and the BBC World Service during the 75th Commemoration of D-Day.

Here is a short news report.

Emma was the guest soloist in a military tattoo in Purmerend, the Netherlands. This took place just after the death of HM Elizabeth II. To show their respect, the orchestras took a moment’s silence and Emma sang “Amazing Grace.” It was moving to experience the support of the largely Dutch audience for the late queen.