At the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial in Margraten, there has been a musical tribute every year since 2006; a classical concert that befits the unique location. This in commemoration of the fallen soldiers who gave their lives in the Second World War for the liberation of the Netherlands, and to celebrate the liberation of the Netherlands in September 1944, which started in the south of Limburg.
The 17th Liberation Concert will take place on Sunday September 18.
Each year the Liberation concert honors the fallen soldiers who fought for our freedom.
Men and women who left the safety of their homes to fight for our freedom. Relatives and loved ones were left behind in uncertainty and in many cases never to see their sons, daughters, husbands and wives alive again. This year’s edition of the Liberation Concert dwells upon the fallen soldiers and their close connection with their families back home.
Aaron Copland wrote his Letter from Home in 1944. Homesickness and a desire to see his loved ones again sounds through in Copland’s patriotic work which tells the story of a soldier who reads a letter from home with tears in his eyes
The unfinished Symphony of Schubert is a classical masterpiece. This two-part symphony is written by a composer who also died too young leaving an unfinished live behind, like so many of the soldiers who died for our freedom.
“I remember the moments well where my mother sang for me (…) while a tear glittered in her eye.” This is a fragment from the text of the song Songs my mother Taught me from Antonin Dvorák. The unconditional love and care of a mother for her child sounds through in this piece. The instrumental version by the Austrian-American violist Fritz Kreisler for violin and orchestra makes Dvorak’s song world famous.
Unconditional love for your next of kin and the self-sacrifice are central themes in the movie Schindler’s List. Seldom a composer wrote more touching film music as John Williams did for the Oscar winning movie by Steven Spielberg. “You need a better composer than I for this film”, was the first reaction of Williams when Spielberg asked him to compose the music for Schindler’s List. “I know, but they are all dead”, was Spielbergs reply. Theme & Remembrances from Schindler’s List for violin and orchestra became the most poignant film music ever composed.
With the men and women buried at the Margraten cemetery in his mind, Mark Pütz composed the hymn Unknown Territory. A musical expression of the everlasting gratitude towards all our liberators and their families.
