PATRON: HER MAJESTY'S AMBASSADOR AT THE HAGUE
AMSTERDAM BRANCH Bulletin
2011-2012 season nr. 2. December 2011
Dear members, Welcome to the second bulletin of our GNE season, with a special cordial welcome for the members who joined the Amsterdam Branch in 2011. We hope you feel at home in our group and hope to see you on many occasions. This bulletin covers the events in December 2011 and January - March of 2012. Your Committee Saturday, December 10th, 11 a.m. Teylers Museum, Spaarne, Haarlem.
In this Museum - the oldest in our country - there is a very interesting exhibition of paintings and drawings by Claude Lorrain. (until 9th January 2012) Claude Lorrain (circa 1600-1682) is one of the most important landscape painters of all time. Specialised in Arcadian landscapes, he created an idealised, sun-filled world with shepherds and mythological figures relaxing near green trees, babbling brooks and classic al buildings. After Rubens and Van Dijck, he was the most celebrated artist of his time. His paintings were bought by popes, kings and the European aristocracy. From pastry chef to celebrated artist Very little is known about Lorrain's life. His real name was Claude Gellée but he was called Claude Lorrain because that is where he was from. Now a region of France, it was an independent state in the 17th century. Rumour has it that he initially worked as a pastry chef but soon opted for a career as an artist. When he moved to Rome, Lorrain was probably only as young as 13. Apart from a journey to Nancy in 1625-27, he continued to live in Rome for the rest of his life. Lorrain has never been married. In 1658 the five-year-old orphan Agnese came to live with him (perhaps a child born out of wedlock). Four years later a cousin from Lorrain also moved in with him. At the end of his life the celebrated artist suffered from gout, but despite this he carried on working until he died in 1682. Much of his work was bought by English landowners, interested in his ideas about landscape gardening. His influence is evident in gardens like Stourhead. Work by Claude can also be enjoyed in country houses like Holkham Hall. Introductory lecture (in Dutch) At 11.00 am on Saturday December 10th, we have arranged for an introductory lecture to this unique exhibition, which, apart from this one, was only on show in the Louvre last summer. It was a great success. Lecturer will be Mr. Michiel Plomp, chief conservator of the museum, who was also involved with the exhibition itself. He will pay special attention to the influence on English landscape gardening. Advance booking for this lecture is compulsory. Please e-mail our chairperson, Mrs Kitty Kruiswijk (
[email protected]) or our vice chairman, Mr. Monty Kraayeveld (
[email protected]) as soon as possible. 1
We will assemble in the hall of the museum at 10.45. Costs: GNE Members pay € 16,50.- for both the lecture and the entrance. Holders of a Museumjaarkaart pay € 13,50. (Non-members : € 21,50/18.-) You can pay your committee at the museum, but you must book in advance! (The Museum allows us a reduction!) A free audio tour and information booklet in Dutch or English is available for each visitor when visiting the exhibition individually afterwards.
Saturday, December 17th, Felix Meritis, Keizersgracht 324, 8.15 pm. A double Christmas Event
The ensemble Caméléon will play a Christmas Carol about the famous allegory of the miserly Scrooge, whose one and only obsession is to gain as much money as possible without even sharing any of it. The accompanying music is by Byrd, Purcell, Avison, Holst and Warlock. Admission fee for the concert is €. 25.-If you wish you can have dinner before the concert of just have dinner: A block reservation for a three-course dinner (€. 27,50) to start at 5.30 pm has been made at De Struisvogel which is practically next-door to the venue. Please contact Monty Kraayeveld as soon as possible if you want to join us for the concert and/or the dinner. This event was also published in our first bulletin, so pick up your phone and call 020 3315399 or start your computer and send an e-mail to
[email protected]. Please pay your committee on the spot for both events .
Saturday, January 14th 2012. Visit to the Pianola Museum, Westerstraat 106. Time: 2 pm.
Entrance & Guided tour: €. 6.-
Your committee will offer you a New Year’s drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) to toast to the New Year! The musical presentation will be introduced by Mr.Harry van der Voort (in Dutch)
The Pianola Museum is located in the Jordaan, a 17th century quarter of Amsterdam, west of the old town centre. The museum has a collection of automatic pianos and related objects. There are over 25.000 music rolls in the museum archive. Nearly all of them can be played on the different instruments in the museum. There will be a presentation of English music on various piano rolls. “The pianola is already a hundred years old, but we can still enjoy the music of these wonderful instruments, thanks to the smart technology that makes them work. Come and listen to the masters of the keyboard of 100 years ago. “ 2
Saturday, February 4th 2. pm Venue: Christ Church, Groenburgwal 42 near the wooden bridge in Staalstraat Michael Burgess: The Seven Deadly Sins
About the Speaker: After university Michael lived for a year in Rotterdam and worked with the Missions to Seafarers. His first parish was a mining town near Newcastle - then he moved down to parishes in Cornwall, and then into Wales to serve as subwarden at St Deiniol`s Library, Hawarden - a library founded by Gladstone in the Victorian period which trained ordinands and welcomed guests from all over the world. In 1991 he returned to parish life. He is the Rector of Oughtrington and Warburton. He also has been involved in clergy courses and for the last 8 years served as chaplain to the diocesan Mothers` Union
The lecture:
The number 7 has been a powerful influence on Christian life and doctrine from early days. No more so than in the classification of sin. The list of the 7 Deadly Sins certainly goes back to the 6th century and has been a popular theme for preachers and artists. The mnemonic SALIGIA reminded church members of the sins to avoid as they grew in faith and practice - Superbia, Avaritia, Luxuria, Invidia, Gula, Ira, and Acedia. We would call them Pride, Envy, Avarice, Anger, Lust, Greed and Sloth. This talk takes a light hearted but serious look at these sins as they are depicted in Bosch`s famous painting of the 15th century and as they are experienced in life. But the stress is not on the negative world of sin, but on the positive world of Christian virtue - life lived in love and goodness and mercy.
Saturday, February 11th National Event Venue: Historische Artis Bibliotheek Plantage Middenlaan 45 1018 DC Amsterdam
Een middag met Redmond O’Hanlon
(Tramlijn 9, halte Plantage Badlaan; ga dus niet de tuin in!) Redmond O`Hanlon (Dorset, 1947) is een Brits schrijver. Hij genoot zijn opleiding aan het Marlborough en het Merton College in Oxford. Hij behaalde zijn M.Phil. in negentiendeeeuwse Engelse studies en werd benoemd tot wetenschappelijk medewerker in 1971, verkreeg de Alistair Horne Research Fellowship in 1974 en werd senior visitor aan het St Antony`s College, Oxford, in 1985. Het proefschrift van Redmond O`Hanlon, Changing Scientific Concepts of Nature in the English Novel, 1850-1920, kwam gereed in 1977. Van 1970 tot 1974 was hij lid van de literatuurcommissie van de Arts Council of Great Britain (de Raad voor de Kunst van Groot-Brittannië). Hij werd lid van de Society for the Bibliography of Natural History in 1982, lid van de Royal Geographical Society in 1984 en lid van de Royal Society of Literature in 1993. Gedurende vijftien jaar was Redmond O`Hanlon redacteur van The Times Literary Supplement op het gebied van natuurlijke historie. In 2009 voer hij mee op het schip dat de historische reis van Charles Darwin met de Beagle herdacht door deze te herhalen. Hij heeft daarover o.a. een film gemaakt genaamd ‘Darwin’s stowaway’. O`Hanlon is vooral bekend geworden van zijn reisverslagen waarin hij zijn zoektochten beschrijft naar dieren en gewoonten die al uitgestorven leken. Hij woont met zijn vrouw en twee kinderen nabij Oxford. Vorig jaar heeft O`Hanlon veel bekendheid gekregen met zijn grote reeks van 50 afleveringen voor de VPRO TV waarin de historische reis van Darwin met de Beagle werd nagevolgd. Hij heeft zich bereid verklaard om exclusief voor GNE een middag te spreken voor onze leden. J.l. Zondag is een nieuwe serie op de VPRO TV van start gegaan. De bibliotheek van het Koninklijk Zoölogisch Genootschap "Natura Artis Magistra", de huidige Artis Bibliotheek, werd in 1838 gesticht. Deze bibliotheek werd ondergebracht in een door architect G.B. Salm ontworpen gebouw (1868) aan de Plantage Middenlaan, dat samen met het 19e-eeuwse bibliotheekinterieur op de rijksmonumentenlijst staat. De opbouw en verdere uitbreiding van de collectie is vooral het werk geweest van de eerste directeur van Artis, de Amsterdamse boekhandelaar, drukker en uitgever G.F. Westerman (18071890). In 1939 werd de bibliotheek overgedragen aan de Gemeente Amsterdam en werd daarmee eigendom van de Universiteit van Amsterdam. De Artis Bibliotheek maakt nu deel uit van de Bijzondere Collecties van de U.v.A.
13.00-13.30
Ontvangst
13.30-14.30
Interview door Alexander Reeuwijk van de Britse reisboekenschrijver en naturalist Redmond O`Hanlon; projectie van beelden van zijn reizen .
14.30-15.30
Koffiebreak, rondleiding in groepen door de conservator door de Historische Artis Bibliotheek. Signeersessie
15.30-16.30
Vervolg van het gesprek met O’Hanlon, vooral gericht op de reis met de Beagle
16.30-17.00
Afsluitende borrel
Inschrijfformulier op de laatste pagina. 3
Sunday, March 18th: Peter Gillman: Life below Stairs. Venue: de Veranda, Kastanjezaal. Amstelveenseweg 347, Time 3 pm. Followed by Dinner with the Speaker As Heather Woodward is unable to come, we are happy to welcome him instead About the speaker: Born in Cape Town and learned Afrikaans at school as his second language. He spent his working life running libraries and information centres in industry. For five years he lectured on the Masters course in library management and information retrieval at University College London. In 1999 he began working for the National Trust at Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent, as a room steward and leading guided tours. For five years he has been a member of the Trust’s Speakers Panel, giving around 50 talks a year on behalf of the Trust.
About the lecture: The life and works of servants in English country houses from the 18th to the 20th centuries. During this time servants stopped being part of a household and became, in the Victorian phrase, ‘a necessary evil’, to be ‘neither seen or heard’. This talk is illustrated by National Trust properties and is one of his most popular talks. If one has been able to see Downton Abbey on TV, the talk will be particularly interesting. There will be a book sale during the interval to benefit our meagre finances. The Novel Reading Club will discuss: Philip Roth: Nemesis on December 16th Jonathan Franzen: Corrections on February 17th Jonathan Franzen: The Finkler Question on April 13th Dave Eggers: Zeitoun on May 11th Peter Carey: Oliver and Parrot in America on June 22nd Regular venue and time: Ria Pelgrom, Het Breed 503, 7.45 pm, but please check. (Tineke Hulsebosch 020-6946336 or Kitty Kruyswijk 075-6169936)
Looking back.... Our season started with a visit to Kasteel Duivenvoorde for a performance of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. A few days later we came together in the English Bookshop for the AGM, followed by a presentation by the wellknown writer, critic and radio-journalist Pieter Steinz. October brought us Unity Harvey who enlightened us on the London Wetland Centre, a highly interesting but little known area in London featuring a variety of small nature reserves. In November the Amsterdam Branch of GNE organised a showing of ‘Memories in Mud’, a documentary about the salvage of a British bomber that was shot over North Holland in World War II with interviews of relatives who had never given up finding their loved ones. The Novel Reading Group discussed Paul Auster: Invisible and Joseph O’Connor: Ghostlight. Those members who visited Thalia’s Trial by Jury, which we could not announce in our first Bulletin, but whose email addresses were available to us so that we could reach them in time, were quite satisfied. So if you should be interested in receiving our digital Newsletters, please contact Hette de Boer (
[email protected])
Addresses you might need: Sunday April 15th: The pictures of Charles I and the work of Anthony van Dyck Tuesday April 17th: Finals of the GNE-BBC awards: Public Speaking Competition. In Hilversum
Mrs Kitty Kruijswijkv.d.Woude Chairman & secretary a.i. Hoge Horn 109 1506 MS Zaandam Tel.:075-6169936 Email:
[email protected]
Mr Monty.Kraayeveld (vice-chairman.) Herengracht 409 1017 BP Amsterdam Tel.: 030 6076214 (office
The Stena line offers a 10% discount oN its ferry services for members of the Genootschap. For more details, see the GNE website 4
For your information Sir Stanley Spencer, one of the most important artists of the 20th century: Between Heaven and Earth, Comprehensive overview of his work. For the first time to be seen on the Continent: until 15 January 2012. Kunsthal, Rotterdam Amnesty International: Movies that Matter: Plato’s Academy in Kriterion, Roetersstraat 020-6231708, Wednesday, December 21st No More Fear on January 18th, also in Kriterion. Soldaat van Oranje: GNE Amsterdam is planning to visit this performance in April on a weekday (evening,) or in a weekend (afternoon,) Admission from € 78 or € 88 depending on the date. If you should like to join please let Monty Kraayeveld know before the end of the year. Transport will be taken care of. The English consul, John Cameron-Webb, has offered to take us on an excursion to the World War I battlefields of the Somme in the spring of 2012. If you are interested to join please let Monty Kraayeveld know. STET December and January: Stet introduces several theatrical companies to Dutch audiences. They will stage a number of productions in these months in The Hague. More info on their website: www.theenglishtheatre.nl Phone: 06 300 500 18 . Salon Saffier is a small literary theatre in Utrecht, near the former location of Tivoli. Please visit their interesting website: www.salonsaffier.nl Address: Herenstraat 29 (gateway between 27 en 33)
Phone: 030 6701020 .
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Annuleringskosten: Annulering zonder kosten is mogelijk tot uiterlijk 1 februari 2012; Na 1 februari 2012: € 10,00 p.p. Dit formulier zenden aan: J.Bakker, Van Ostadelaan 5-A, 3712 AV Huis ter Heide UT. U bent geregistreerd, tenzij u binnen 1 week na aanmelding bericht krijgt dat het maximum aantal deelnemers is bereikt. Inlichtingen: M.Kraayeveld, (e-mail:
[email protected], Tel. 020-3315399) of J.Bakker, (e-mail:
[email protected], Tel. 030-6992007)
Handtekening:
Totaalbedrag overgemaakt: € ……………………..
Deelnamekosten € 30,- p.p. voor GNE leden (niet-leden: €.40.-)
Aantal personen: …………………..
Email adres:
Telefoonnummer:
Postcode & woonplaats:
Adres:
Afdeling:
Naam :
Redmond O’Hanlon’s reis met de Beagle Zaterdag 11 februari 2012 13.00 - 17.00 uur Ondergetekende(n) meldt/melden zich aan en heeft/hebben de bijdrage overgemaakt op bankrekening 51.71.33.245 van het GNE Hoofdbestuur (Nederhorst den Berg). Sluitingsdatum van aanmeldingen: 1 februari 2012
AANMELDINGSFORMULIER
On 9 december they have a programme about Lewis Carroll, and on the 10th & 11th one about T.S.Elliott.
