Blog

Dedicated to everyone, in any way involved in the Hercules disaster on July 15th 1996.

Commissioned by Koninklijke Militaire Kapel ‘Johan Willem Friso’.

Echoes of Time is a symphonic poem composed on the occasion of the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Hercules disaster on July 15th 1996.

The work consists of four consecutive parts. It opens with “Morning Light”, a colorful look back at the day it all happened. After a short introduction – where the dawning of the day turns into the grand opening theme – the story is told of the great musicians, in the prime of their lives, resuming the return journey after a successful performance by their “Fanfarekorps Koninklijke Landmacht” (FKKL).

Just as suddenly as a disaster can take place, the second part “Silence Fall” follows. After the drastic event – in which 34 musicians and crew members were killed and 7 seriously injured – it is as if time stands still for a moment. The music becomes still, as it were. A heartbeat illustrates the fight for the lives of the survivors and the dead are mourned in short recitatives. 

The third part follows consecutively and tells the story as a kind of dialogue between survivors/relatives and the dead. This “Cantilene” is a remembrance of the lost, where time softens the wounds but does not erase them. The part ends grandly, where, as it were, a tribute is paid to all the victims. 

In the final part “Permanent Echo”, the memories of the past are translated into a message that leaves a sense of hope and remembrance.

“The Village School” a frivolous and colourful overture for wind band. The work, originally for orchestra (titled as “Regalo Festivo Ouverture”) was commissioned by the University Orchestra Maastricht and serves as a prelude to its concerts. 

This version for wind band is also freely inspired by Jan Steen’s painting “the village school”, in which the everyday chaos within a classroom can be felt. It is also a reference to the connection with the university, where students experience their hopefully best time of their lives that eventually leads to a successful career. In the work, the various musical themes develop into a grand apotheosis.