Emma Brown was honoured to sing during the ANZAC Day memorial service at Ockenburg Commonwealth War Cemetery in The Hague, the Netherlands. Eighty-seven soldiers, sailors, and airmen who died during the Second World War are buried there: their nationalities include Australian, British, New Zealand, and Canadian.

The ANZAC memorial ceremony includes familiar texts from British Remembrance ceremonies, such as “They shall grow not old,” and in addition a text from Ataturk: “You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.” It was humbling to hear the Turkish Ambassador speak these words.

Her Excellency Ms Janet Lowe, Ambassador of New Zealand, gave a short address. She stated: “War is a bloody and terrible thing, and the young soldiers found strength in all sorts of ways and in all sorts of places. In unfashionable but eternal concepts such as loyalty to King and country. In God. In the bottle. In the youthful self-belief that ‘death on the battlefield will never happen to me’.” She continued by expressing gratitude for our current peaceful situation in the Netherlands, and the need to maintain the ANZAC spirit of “courage, endurance, ingenuity, the willingness to make sacrifices – including the ultimate sacrifice – for the greater good, and last but not least, loyalty to one’s mates.”

It was a humbling ceremony, especially realising how far away from home many of those buried in Ockenburg were laid to rest. Emma led the hymns and National Anthems, and sang “Abide with Me.”

Unfortunately, Emma has been forced to take a short break due to a recent road traffic accident. She was hit by a car when cycling, causing an AC-luxation (type III) to her right shoulder and bruised ribs. She hopes to resume singing in late April.

On Saturday, 25^th March, Emma will sing as the alto soloist in J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, together with the Residentiekoor, baritone Bora Balçi, a period ensemble, and conductor Martin van der Brugge.

The St. Matthew Passion was composed in 1727. It was first performed in the St. Thomas church in Leipzig, where Bach was organist, possibly in 1727 and certainly in 1729. It was performed regularly at the St. Thomas church until the end of the eighteenth century.

Perhaps surprisingly, the St. Matthew Passion was not performed outside of Leipzig for at least a hundred years. In 1829, Felix Mendelssohn conducted a revival performance in Berlin. This revival helped introduce the works of J.S. Bach to a wider audience. In 1854, the St. Matthew Passion was performed in London. The Bach Society of London was founded five years earlier in 1849 in order to introduce Bach’s works to the public.

Today, it is inconceivable that it took over a century for Bach to become widely known and performed. Here in the Netherlands, the St. Matthew Passion has a prominent role in Passion tide. It is very probably the most-widely performed work of classical music in the country.

Performances are at 14:00 and 16:00 in the Remonstrantse Kerk, Laan van Meerdervoort 955, The Hague. These two concerts include a selection of twenty sections of the St. Matthew Passion, interlaced with story telling. It is a great opportunity for those unfamiliar with the oratorio to become acquaint anted with it.

For more information, see here.

Tickets are available here.

Emma was recently invited to appear as a guest soloist on the Band of Liberation’s new CD, “Days of Glory.” The repertoire includes popular and traditional songs and marches for veterans, such as ‘Danny Boy,’ ‘O Waly Waly,’ and ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square.’ Editing will finish later this year, and the CD will be distributed to the Dutch veterans’ institute.

On Saturday, 11th March, mezzo-soprano Emma Brown will give a short lieder recital together with pianist Isolde Troost. They will perform Grieg’s Haugtussa, op. 67 and Isolde Troost will play five of Liszt’s Consolations.

Haugtussa is a song cycle based on a poetry cycle of the same name by the nineteenth-century Norwegian poet Arne Gaborg. It is the story of a young girl who has magical powers. During the course of the song cycle, she falls in love and is rejected. Struggling to come to terms with her rejection and her magical powers, she turns to nature for consolation.

The recital is for the Friends of the Hooglandse Kerk and the Marekerk, a charity which raises funds for the maintenance of these two beautiful, historical churches in the heart of Leiden. Anyone with a genuine interest in supporting the charity is welcome.

The recital follows a short lecture, in Dutch, by Haro Schultz van Haegen, about eating and drinking in the seventeenth century as depicted in the paintings of Jan Steen, Frans van Mieris and David Bailly.

Doors open at 18:30.

For more information, in Dutch, see here.