By Elizabeth Naumczyk
It is not often that one can enjoy an outstanding musical concert and reception at one of the most magnificent Diplomatic Residences in The Hague. On the evening of Wednesday May 11th a Special Event to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Arts Society The Hague was held at the Residence of the British Ambassador to The Netherlands HE Joanna Roper CMG.
Her Excellency, is also Patron of The Arts Society The Hague. The choice of venue consolidated a long standing tradition where the Arts Society also held its 20th and 25th anniversaries.
After warmly welcoming the guests to her imposing Residence, HE Ambassador Joanna Roper handed over the proceedings to the Chairman of the Society, HE Mr Andrea Perugini (former Italian Ambassador to The Netherlands 2016-2020}. Mr Perugini outlined the history of The Arts Society The Hague which is affiliated to The Arts Society UK. The Arts Society UK is a leading non-profit Arts and Culture Organization with over 380 affiliated societies and almost 80,000 members worldwide, bringing people together through a shared interest in the Arts.
The Arts Society The Hague founded in 1991 (formerly known as The Decorative and Fine Arts Society of The Hague) has brought together and informed the community through many years of cultural activities delivered by experts in many fields. It is one of the most active affiliated societies and is proud to be fourth out of fifteen in Mainland Europe in terms of membership numbers.
To celebrate this occasion 60 guests were privileged to listen to a special non stop performance of over an hour by the renowned Dutch Baroque Music Ensemble, “Le Nuove Musiche”, very eloquently introduced and skillfully directed by Maestro Krijn Koetsveld at the harpsichord, with the participation of Soprano Margreet Rietveld and Tenor Falco van Loon.
The music in the recital spans the later Renaissance and Baroque stylistic era and was absolutely captivating.
Maestro Koetsveld played on his own copy of a 1640 Harpsichord. After an opening piece by Giulio Caccini (1551-1618) Amarilli mia bella the programme included John Dowland (1563 1618), Come again, followed by Maestro Koetsveld playing solo on the harpsichord the Pavana Lachrimae again by John Downland set by William Byrd (1543-1623). It then focused on Henry Purcell (1659-1695), one of Britain’s best composers, with both singers performing Music for a while and My dearest, my fairest. Falco van Loon performed Evening Hymn while Sweeter than Roses was sang by Margreet Rietveld.
Pieces by Henry Lawes (1596-1662), Georg Friedrich Händel’s (1685-1759) and the Sound the trumpet by Henry Purcell were also played. The final notes were from Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) Pur ti miro, bringing together all three performers for this most beautiful love duet created on the harpsichord, a simple base with all kinds of variations.
A reception followed with canapés prepared by Chef Roberto Illari, who just started working for the five star Hotel de l’Europe in Amsterdam, together with wine and refreshments courtesy of the British Embassy.
The Chairman of the Society, Andrea Perugini also promoted the various lectures and activities that the Arts Society The Hague will offer for the 2022/23 Season (see https://theartssociety.org/the-hague ). He said in particular: “We organize – Live and via Zoom – eight one-hour lectures during the course of a season (October to May) in our main venue, the Warenar Cultural Centre, Wassenaar, where we can host over 200 people at a time. In addition the Society organizes Special Events, Lectures with local and foreign speakers and visits to Museums and exclusive guided tours.
Our Lectures are captivating and stimulating events where expert lecturers, academicians,
researchers, historians, museum curators and art experts share their specialist knowledge and passion on a wide range of subjects – from music to architecture, from fashion to craftsmanship, from archaeology to glassware, from visual arts to history, from ancient traditions to photography, from historical cities to lost civilisations.”
We can all agree with him that the Arts and Culture promote better mutual understanding and connectivity between peoples and act as a major instrument of peace and dialogue enriching everyone’s lives. We wish The Arts Society The Hague continued success and valued contribution to the cultural life of The Hague and its outreach to the wider community via Zoom.
