Description
As long as there have been people, there has been a god (or is it the other way around?). And oh my god, aren’t we obsessed with him? Or her. And is it God? Or is it Allah, JHWH, Zeus, Shiva, Thor or Cupid? Perhaps your god is the Dalai Lama. Elvis. Madonna. Johan Cruyff. Or the universe. The environment. Why not Hyves? Whoever – or whatever – your god may be, ‘My God’ was the theme of the NBE’s New Year’s Concert on 1 January 2009, organized in cooperation with the VARA broadcasting corporation.
The featured guests at this year’s concert were all from the Bijlmer, a part of Amsterdam where all the world’s religions exist side by side. In the lead up to the New Year’s Concert, the NBE and the VARA joined forces with Breathing Bijlmer, a foundation that supports the area’s vibrant music scene.
Meanwhile, nearly one hundred children and adolescents drew divine inspiration to take part in the anual young composers’ contest. After preliminaries held in cities throughout the country and a grand final in Utrecht, the winners joined the NBE on stage on New Year’s Day: Martijn Holtslag (15), Sophie Eskes (14) and Tessa Elferink (14), Faas Kaaijk (6) and Wilma Pistorius (17). Fons Merkies, Frank van Nus and Hans Barkel supported the young composers by helping them
arrange their piece for the NBE.
Soloists Breeze, La Rouge, Teema Polat & Mehmet Polat
Young composers Martijn Holtslag, Sophie Eskes & Tessa Elferink, Faas Kaaijk, Wilma Pistorius
