Stichting Torenmuziek Moordrecht

The organizers of Mediterranean Moordrecht have won the municipality of Zuidplas culture prize 2022 for their efforts to bathe Moordrecht in a Mediterranean atmosphere with a wide range of activities and decorations. Part of this prize was a cheque that they can spend on a cultural charity within the municipality. We were pleasantly surprised to hear that the organizers of Mediterranean Moordrecht endorsed the Stichting Torenmuziek Moordrecht as payee. At a regular meeting of the stichting, the organizers personally handed over the check. 

We would like to thank the organization of Mediterranean Moordrecht and also the Stichting Cultureel Netwerk Zuidplas and will use the cheque to organise a great activity in 2023.

In 2022, the carillon can be heard regularly again over the Moordrecht roofs. Our ‘house carillonneur’ Midori Conneman regularly takes place behind the baton keyboard and former carillonneur Maarten Siebel also regularly puts the carillon to work from Berlin with new sounds via the carillon computer. In addition, the following scheduled events took place:

Wednesday, April 27, Midori Conneman played on King’s Day prior to the aubade.

Saturday, June 18, Midori Conneman played during the Moordrecht fair.

On Saturday, August 20, Boudewijn Zwart, one of the Netherlands’ most famous carillonneurs (also pianist), together with our own carillonneur, Midori Connenan, concluded the first event Saturday during Mediterras Moordrecht in a special way. With Boudewijn at street level behind the piano and Midori high up in the tower behind the carillon, the two played Mediterranean music together. The dreamy sounds sounded through the streets and over the roofs of Moordrecht.

On Saturday September 3, Boudewijn Zwart (piano), Wim Ruitenbeek (carillon) and Hans Broekhuijzen (saxophone) played together the final chord of Mediterrean Moordrecht 2022. The hour-long concert, in which the three musicians (literally) played at different heights, became – how appropriate also – closed with the melancholy ‘Hijo de la luna’ (‘Son of the moon’) by the Spanish band Mecano.

Saturday 10 September Midori played ‘Kunst Na De Arbeid’ together with Harmonie during open monument day

Friday, October 14, about 75 visitors were able to enjoy beautiful music in the Dorpskerk. Boudewijn Zwart not only brought along beautiful instruments (his chest organ and chamber carillon), but he was also accompanied by organist Gerben Budding, oboist Theo-Hans Kuijvenhoven and cellist Judith Groen. The passion for music and for the extraordinary instruments drove this fun and beautiful music evening.

On Wednesday, October 26, the carillon played together with the church organ. Kees, the regular organist from Moordrecht played the organ together with a guest organist and Midori played the carillon. Below you’ll find an impression of the organ playing.

In 2022, the carillon can be heard regularly again over the Moordrecht roofs. Our ‘house carillonneur’ Midori Conneman regularly takes place behind the baton keyboard and former carillonneur Maarten Siebel also regularly puts the carillon to work from Berlin with new sounds via the carillon computer. In addition, the following scheduled events took place:

Wednesday, April 27, Midori Conneman played on King’s Day prior to the aubade.

Saturday, June 18, Midori Conneman played during the Moordrecht fair.

On Saturday, August 20, Boudewijn Zwart, one of the Netherlands’ most famous carillonneurs (also pianist), together with our own carillonneur, Midori Connenan, concluded the first event Saturday during Mediterras Moordrecht in a special way. With Boudewijn at street level behind the piano and Midori high up in the tower behind the carillon, the two played Mediterranean music together. The dreamy sounds sounded through the streets and over the roofs of Moordrecht.

On Saturday September 3, Boudewijn Zwart (piano), Wim Ruitenbeek (carillon) and Hans Broekhuijzen (saxophone) played together the final chord of Mediterrean Moordrecht 2022. The hour-long concert, in which the three musicians (literally) played at different heights, became – how appropriate also – closed with the melancholy ‘Hijo de la luna’ (‘Son of the moon’) by the Spanish band Mecano.

Saturday 10 September Midori played ‘Kunst Na De Arbeid’ together with Harmonie during open monument day

Friday, October 14, about 75 visitors were able to enjoy beautiful music in the Dorpskerk. Boudewijn Zwart not only brought along beautiful instruments (his chest organ and chamber carillon), but he was also accompanied by organist Gerben Budding, oboist Theo-Hans Kuijvenhoven and cellist Judith Groen. The passion for music and for the extraordinary instruments drove this fun and beautiful music evening.

On Wednesday, October 26, the carillon played together with the church organ. Kees, the regular organist from Moordrecht played the organ together with a guest organist and Midori played the carillon. Below you’ll find an impression of the organ playing.

In August, the carillon helped to give Moordrecht a Mediterranean atmosphere.

On September 11, it was open monument day and the tower and the carillon were open to the public. Visitors were allowed to climb the tower and the bravest among us could enjoy the view from the tower wreath. Of course, the carillon was also played on this monument day! Carillonneur Richard de Waard let visiting children play on the carillon and turned the tower into a real jukebox. At the entrance to the tower, visitors were allowed to look up their favorite song from a list of 100 available songs. They could hold up signs with this number so that Richard could see the number through the reverberation holes and look it up in an impressive pile of sheet music. Click the lists below for a large version.

Children working on the carillon under the guidance of Richard:

On September 18, the carillonneurs Midori Conneman-Maeno and Boudewijn Zwart gave a concert; Midori on the carillon and Boudewijn on the piano at the entrance. Both are connected via microphone/headset to enable interplay. See the video below for an impression:

Below they jointly perform Louis Armstrong’s “Wonderfull World”.

As we know there has been an abrupt end to the legendary Dutch rockband Golden Earring because George Kooymans can not perform any longer because of the motor neuron disease ALS. A great and spectacular farewell concert was unfortunately no longer possible.

Instead of a farewell concert the loyal fanbase started an initiative to play Golden Earring songs throughout the Netherlands on several carillons, as well as ours. In Moordrecht we played the song “That Day”, a recording can be played below.

On the 25th of July 2020 Richard de Waardt played requests. Requests could be made at the jukebox on the Kerkplein.

Midori Conneman played on Saturday the 29th of August together with Boudewijn Zwart on keyboard.

The season was completed on Saturday the 12th of September with the Beiaard-PLUS concert by Wim Ruitenbeek (carillonneur); Rudolf Weges (trumpet); Boudewijn Zwart (piano)

In January 2019 we introduced ourselves to the town council with a short pitch.

We outlined the foundations’ activities with this powerpoint presentation.

In September the spire was re-opened on ‘open monumentendag’ by  councilor Jan Verbeek. Our announcement can be seen in the flyer which we distributed. The newspaper AD Groene Hart made a big announcement and Hart van Holland wrote a lovely report of the event. (See below, click to enlarge)

The series of concerts was concluded on the 26th of October by Boudewijn Zwart in collaboration with Gerard and Johanneke de Wit. (see the Poster of this concert)

The chrurch tower was dressed in scaffolding in 2018, afther the weather vane was blown of the tower in the January storm.

We hoped we could organise a festive re-opening in september that year, but more restoration was necessary so that took a year longer.

Because of this event there where only 3 concerts in 2018:

• 24th of June 2018: Chardy van Riel played as a guest carillonneur
• 7th of September 2018: Ensemble of Maarten on the carillon and KVT Harmony during the village fair
• 15th of September 2018: Boudewijn Zwart with Campana Concort in the village church

2017 was a busy year for the carillon with a series of concerts in various shapes. The carillon played together with keyboard, accompanied a singer, played together with Harmony ‘Kunst na den Arbeid’ and was part of the ensemble ‘Campana Consort’. Besides that many solo concerts took place. Read it all in the 2017 programme booklet.

The first concert in 2016 took place at July the 2nd, where Midori Conneman-Maeno and Maarten Siebel played together on the piano and the carillon. Later that year the Moordrecht’s Carillon Festival took place with guest musicians Gideon Bodden, Boudewijn Zwart and KVT Harmony ‘Kunst na den Arbeid’. Download the flyer here