A request has been received from the Commission Saturday Afternoon Concerts Catharinakerk Zoutelande to make a financial contribution for the Saturday afternoon concerts in Zoutelande. The Saturday Afternoon Concerts Committee Catharinakerk Zoutelande consists of two people; Mr René Molenaar (chairman/secretary) and Mr Kees Roelse (treasurer).
Since 2015, we have been organising concerts in the Catharinakerk on Saturday afternoons during the summer months (mid-June, July, August and mid-September). The immediate reason was that in that year, a monumental organ by the firm Bätz & Co from 1871 was installed in the church. We started asking local organists to give an organ concert lasting half an hour. As compensation, we gave a small symbolic memento in the form of a bottle of wine with the Catharina Church’s label. However, public interest was limited. An average of 25 visitors.
More or less by chance, we were also able to enlist a guitar duo and a baroque ensemble to perform a concert. Public interest and appreciation for wider programming than just organ music turned out to be considerably higher.
In recent years, we have therefore started to focus more on broad programming with quality. Thus, we have concerts with piano, harp, saxophone, flute, solo singing and baroque music. A small part is still organ music. We made contact with the Zeeland Music School. Since last year, their top students have been giving concerts in our series.
We also managed to secure a number of young talented musicians last year. Public interest varies from 50 to 80 visitors and depends heavily on the weather. Indeed, on a scorching hot summer day, people prefer to go to the beach. We therefore focus mainly on the early and late season.
However, we run into a problem; we can only give a small remuneration. We realise that young musicians face many expenses for their training and instrument. In addition, we recognise that they put in many hours of training and preparation. Nowadays, it is not easy for young musicians to make a living. Therefore, we strive to provide a fair remuneration for their performance.
We deliberately do not charge an entrance fee, as this raises the threshold to come and listen. A well-filled church provides inspiration for those performing. We do collect at the exit, however. That brings in around 100 euros on average. That is also the amount we can pay now, but not enough to invite quality musicians.
Our question to you is whether it would be possible for you to give our committee a subsidy, so that we can continue to provide beautiful concerts for the many tourists who visit Zoutelande this summer. This will also ensure that we can provide young musicians with a stage and an opportunity to earn a fair remuneration for their performance.
The Hurgronje Family Fund granted the requested funding.
Programme Saturday afternoon concerts Zoutelande 2025:
- 21 June:
- Vincent de Ridder (organ)
- 28 June:
- top students Muziekschool Zeeland
- 5 July:
- Steven Knieriem (organ)
- 12 July:
- Baroque trio BCR Bert Alderliesten (recorder), Corella Nijsse (cello) and René Molenaar (spinet)
- 19 July:
- Alexander Koole (organ) and Marlène Wisse ( transverse flute)
- 9 August:
- Jan Wisse (organ)
- Friday 22 August 19. 30 hrs:
- Copper Quartet Jongepier
- 30 August:
- Jos Vogel (harpsichord) and Esra Jonckman (recorder)
- 6 September:
- top students Music School Zeeland
- 13 September 11.00-11.30 hrs:
- Jan Wisse (piano) and Lisa de Munck (flute)
- 13 September 14. 30-15.00 hrs:
- Laurens Kamerkoor, Papendrecht
- 27 September:
- Simon van Keulen (organ), Lian Jobse (transverse flute) and Mirjam Wisse (cello)
All concerts are from 14.30-15.00 hrs, unless otherwise indicated.
0 comments