“Dominus Illuminatio Mea” – a new composition

Thank you to the Leidse Cantorij for singing my new composition during the church service of the Leidse Binnenstadsgemeente this morning.

The introit was part of a join project with Kathinka de Ruiter for the birthday of our minister, Margreet Klokke, which included compositions by Kathinka. 

Dominus Illumatio Mea is Psalm 27 in the Vulgate, and Psalm 26 for the Leidse Binnenstadsgemeente:

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

2020-10-04T18:02:03+02:00October 4th, 2020|

Hans Brons’s 40-year Anniversary Vespers

Emma will join the Leidse Cantorij as a guest soloist during the Jubileum vespers of their conductor, Hans Brons, who has led the choir for forty years. The choir have sung in St. Pauls’ Cathedral, London, St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, and at a wedding of the Dutch royal family. They were one of the first choirs to sing choral Evensong in the Netherlands.

The vespers on 20th September includes music by Tallis, Sweelinck, Monteverdi, Buxtehude, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Stanford, and by Emma, as the choir will sing her motet “O Lux Beata Trinitas.” Willeke Smits will play the organ, and the vespers is led by the minister, Margreet Klokke.

To apply for a place, please sign up here and register your interest in services of the Leidse Binnenstadsgemeente.

20th September, 17:00, Hooglandse Kerk, Leiden, the Netherlands.

2020-09-12T09:17:14+02:00September 12th, 2020|

Corona Remembrance Service

On 20th September, Emma will sing during a Corona Remembrance service in Leiderdorp, the Netherlands, together with pianist/organist Matthias Konijnenberg, pianist Peter van Veen, and lyre-player Mariëtte Burm.

The ceremony has been organized by the Dutch Protestant Church together with Arum Funeral Care. During the lockdown in spring and early summer, the number of people attending funerals was heavily restricted, which often gave a bleak and sombre feeling to the occasion. Now that more people are allowed to gather together, the church and the undertakers wanted to give people the chance to look back on the lives of those who passed away during the lockdown.

The ceremony is therefore open to people from all religions and of no religion. It is led by the minister, Hester Smit.

To apply for a place, please contact Arum Uitvaartverzorger on 071 572 00 76.

For more information (in Dutch), please click here.

2020-09-12T09:13:14+02:00September 12th, 2020|

Sea Pictures

Photo: Marianne Ulrich

Emma will join organist Willeke Smits for a concert in the Orgel Promenade concert series in the Hooglandse Kerk. Willeke will perform music by Andriessen and Strategier. Emma joins her for three of Elgar’s ‘Sea Pictures,’ which Willeke has transcribed for organ. The concert concludes with the wonderful ‘Suite Gotique’ by Boëllmann.

You can watch the live stream here.

The concert is dedicated to Joop Brons, former organist of the Hooglandse Kerk, who passed away last Tuesday.

Saturday, 5th September, 13:30, Hooglandse Kerk, Leiden, the Netherlands

2020-09-12T09:10:45+02:00September 4th, 2020|

I Sing of a Maiden

Emma’s composition “I Sing of a Maiden” has been published by Edition HH and is available here.

They write: “This simple eight-part setting of a fifteen-century text has a timeless quality and is a fitting addition to the Christmas repertoire. The haunting melody captures the spirit of this ancient text, whilst lullaby patterns and cascading figures for the April dew place the composition firmly in the twenty-first century. It would make a beautiful addition to a Christmas concert or carol service, as well as providing a touching moment of spiritual reflection during Midnight Mass.”

2020-08-29T13:44:53+02:00August 29th, 2020|

V-J Day

On 15th August, 1945, the Second World War finally ended when Imperial Japan surrendered.

It is estimated that between 70 and 85 million people died in the Second World War through conflict, war-related disease, and famine. In spite of this, there has not been a moment of prolonged world peace since the conflict.

This year is the 75th anniversary of the end of the war, and we take time to reflect about those who fought, died, were captured as prisoners or war, or survived and lived with trauma for the rest of their lives.

The Justinus Ensemble recorded Brian Fieldhouse’s arrangement of ‘Abide with Me’ of the virtual VE-Day remembrance ceremony in Hay on Wye, Wales. This recording was made in the Netherlands during the lockdown, in compliance with the government guidance on safety during the pandemic.

2020-08-29T13:49:25+02:00August 13th, 2020|

Hay on Wye VE-Day Virtual Festival

In first weekend of August, there was to be a festival in Hay on Wye to mark seventy-five years since the end of the Second World War.

Due to the pandemic, the live festival was replaced with a video, which includes a remembrance ceremony and performances of music from the Second World War.

Emma recorded several songs for the video together with Brian Fieldhouse and the Justinus Ensemble, including this version of “Cwm Rhondda,” arranged by Brian Fieldhouse.

2020-07-28T13:32:32+02:00August 1st, 2020|