Last Tuesday, 24th November, Emma sang in a broadcast of ‘Nederland Zingt,’ a Dutch programme similar to the BBC’s ‘Songs of Praise.’ She was accompanied by organist Martin Zonnenberg and joined by the Leidse Cantori. The programme will be broadcast on 12th December.
On Friday, 27th November, Emma will sing as a guest soloist at an evening of lectures and readings about the First World War. She will be working with pianist Han-Louis Meijer. They will perform Ravel’s Trois Beaux Oiseau du Paradis and Butterworth’s Is my team ploughing.
The evening has been organised by the society De Buren, which promotes the Dutch and Flemmish language and culture. Tickets are available via their website.
On Friday 30th October, Emma will sing at the sixtieth anniversary of the oratorio society “Kom nu met Sangh.” This long-standing choir, founded in 1955, have invited Hollands Sinfonia and soloists Wendy Roobol, Emma Brown, Aart Mateboer and Hans Brons to perform Dvořák’s Mass in D and Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang under conductor Henk Gijzen.
The concert takes place in the Julianakerk in Sassenheim, starting at 20:00.
Tickets, costing €25, are available at Primera, Sassenheim, and on the door.
The children’s choir of the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam
Emma has had a productive month working on two very different composition commissions.
The Sweelinckcantorij in Amsterdam commissioned Emma to write a piece for the children’s choir of the Oude Kerk as part of their 50-year celebrations, from a poem by Dutch author Karel Eykman. The poem, ‘Pesach,’ links Exodus to Easter. Emma’s setting, for unison children’s choir and chamber organ, contrasts the urgengy of the refugees’ situation with the serenity of the Easter message.
The second composition was for the Salvation Army choir in Leiden, for whom Emma plays the piano as a volunteer. The text was by scholar Raene Sijbom. The piece conforms to the style of music that is usually sung by the choir and was written with the abilities of the singers in mind. The result, “Ik leef voor U,” is a simple but moving four-part song with piano accompaniment.
Future commissions include writing for the inauguration of the Father Willis organ in the Hooglandse Kerk te Leiden in spring 2016, and for Musica da Lima‘s forthcoming tour to Rome.
On Friday, 4th September, Emma will sing at the International Military Tattoo in Gouda, the Netherlands. Several international military bands and pipe bands will perform in the market place in the historic city centre. Emma will perform with the Band of Liberation.
Emma appears at this event under the organisation Marchingband Management through impresario Simon Dubbelaar. For Marching Band bookings, please contact info@marchingbandmanagement.nl.
Tickets can be booked via info@marchingbandmanagement.nl.
On Thursday, 3rd September, Emma will appear in a sound and lights show to celebrate 700 years of the Hooglandse Kerk in Leiden, the Netherlands. At this inspiring open-air event, a lights’ display will be projected onto the south face of the magnificent church, accompanied by live and pre-recorded music. Emma’s motet, ‘O Nata Lux de Lumine’ will be performed live by the Pancras Consort. Emma appears as a guest soloist, singing the ‘Agnus Dei’ from Bach’s B-minor Mass.
The event begins at 21:00 in the Hooglandse Kerkplein. It is free of charge.
More information (in Dutch) can be found here and here.
This event has been organised by De Blauwe Uur.
Emma Brown at deBuren, with Dorian van der Brempt and Willem Bongers
On Saturday, 29th August, Emma Brown sang for the cultural institution deBuren in Brussels, Belgium, at the retirement party of their former-director Doriaan van der Brempt. She appeared as a surprise present from the society during his farewell reception.
deBuren was founded in 2004 to promote Flemish and Dutch culture. Emma has previously worked for deBuren recording audiobooks as part of their City Books project. You can listen to these here.
Emma also sang at deBuren’s ‘History Night’ event in the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum in 2014.