PATRON: HER MAJESTY'S AMBASSADOR AT THE HAGUE
AMSTERDAM BRANCH Bulletin
2011-2012 season nr. 3. March 2012
Dear members, Welcome to the third bulletin of our GNE season, with a special cordial welcome for the members who joined the Amsterdam Branch in the first months of 2012. We hope you feel at home in our group and hope to see you on many occasions. This bulletin covers the events of April - June 2012, a preview of coming events and some more items for your information. Our national committee is pleased to announce that Mr Redmond O‟Hanlon, who was unable to attend our national event of February 11th because he was ill, will talk to us on June 16th in the Public Library in Almere. For further information please turn to page 4 of this bulletin. Your Committee
Friday, March 23: The CADS Olympic Mile
(CADS stands for: Commercial Anglo-Dutch Society) On this day several thousand sponsored charity fun runs will be held across the UK, Europe and the Commonwealth. In the Netherlands it will take place in the Olympic Stadium at 3 pm. Over 300 people will take part: CADS members, pupils and staff from the Amsterdam British School and a number of Dutch police. The aim is to raise funds for Sport Relief, a charity committed to providing access to sports for everyone and providing sports facilities both locally and internationally with access to all members of society. If you care to sponsor this event: CADS Amsterdam, account number 548220573, reference CADS Mile.
Sunday, April 1st Spring High tea in The English Bookshop. The bookshop will turn into a classic tea room with a service offering of English tea, a glass of champagne, sweet and savory pastries and tasty finger sandwiches. Catering by De Dikke Lepel, cost 25 euro‟s. Registration necessary. Address: Lauriergracht 71, free parking at Nassaukade. Time: 2. pm. 1
Sunday, April 1. Time: 8.15 pm.: Concert in the Concertgebouw, Kleine Zaal, with a 50% price reduction for GNE members (15 euro‟s, including coffee etc. instead of 30). Tickets can be ordered via the internet or by telephone. The code to be given to get the 50% reduction is MK120401. Programme: Paul Barritt, violin – James Lisney, piano, playing Beethoven (two sonata‟s, including the Erzherzogssonate), Poulenc, Janacek
Sunday, April 15 Time: 3. pm: Venue: De Veranda, Amstelveenseweg 347 De Tijd van de Tudors The lecture that had been carefully planned by your committee was to analyse the pictures of Charles I (remember the old cigar boxes?) and the work of the famous Anthony van Dyck. Unfortunately our speaker had to cancel his tour for personal reasons, causing us to find a replacememt. And did we succeed!! We wanted to stay as close to the original subject as possible and found the art-historian Rita Boogaart prepared to deliver her lecture about the Tudors for us. Since this is an existing lecture, originally prepared for the Volksuniversiteit, it will be in Dutch. Here follows a little of the contents: „In de zestiende eeuw raakte het contact van Engeland met het vasteland van Europa verstoord. Mede daardoor ontstond er een typisch Engelse cultuur in gebouwen, kunst en kunstnijverheid, mode, gebruiken, muziek en theater. Natuurlijk is vooral de hofkunst bewaard gebleven, met de Tudors in de hoofdrol. Met veel dia‟s en een beetje muziek zal een beeld van deze glorietijd worden gegeven.‟ The National Final of the BBC and ESU Public Speaking, Young Writers and Digital Voice Awards 2012 will take place on Tuesday April 17th 2012 at 1:30pm. If you would like to be in the audience to cheer on your favourite contestant, then please register using this link: www.bbcawards.nl/2012/main/reg_final.html . Location: Dutch View Media Park - Studio Centrum Sumatralaan 45 1217 GP Hilversum Note: Dutch View is walking distance from Hilversum Noord railway station.
The finals will start at 1.30 pm, and everyone is invited to a simple luncheon at 12.30.
Thursday, May 10, 6.45 pm Husbands is an international co-production and part of the prestigious Prospero project, for which just one director is chosen every year. As such, the production can be seen exclusively in Amsterdam‟s Stadsschouwburg and six other major European theatres in Berlin, Liege, Lisbon, Modena, Rennes and Tampere. More info at: toneelgroepamsterdam.nl . A synopsis in English is available on page 5 Toneelgroep Amsterdam would appreciate our judgment about the English surtitling of Husbands, a play based on the film by John Cassavetes, with among others Hans Kesting and Halina Reijn. We are invited to a free back stage tour (in Dutch) in the Stadsschouwburg: Reception with coffee, explanation about the theatre, the stage, the mechanical possibilities and especially for GNE: the ins and outs of the English surtitling. We reserved a number of seats with a discount on the admission price (for us 26,50 euro‟s). Please give Monty a call (020- 3315399) or mail (M.
[email protected]) before April 27. Time: we meet in the lobby between 6.30 and 6.45 pm for tour and coffee. Payment before April 27 to GNE Afdeling Amsterdam, ING 4677160 2
Zondag 13 mei, Vlaams Cultureel Centrum De Brakke Grond, Nes 45, 14.30 uur Extra event: Ford Madox Brown, pionier van de Engelse Prerafaëlieten Op het ogenblik vindt -tot 3 juni a.s. - in het Museum voor Schone Kunsten in Gent een overzichtstentoonstelling plaats van het werk van Ford Madox Brown (1821-1893). Opgeleid in Antwerpen, Gent en Brugge, daarna bedreven in vele verschillende stijlen, is hij vooral bekend geworden als voorloper van de Prerafaëlieten. Zo was hij leraar van Dante Gabriel Rossetti, van wie we nog niet zo lang geleden met GNE een expositie in het Van Gogh-museum hebben bezocht. De huidige tentoonstelling was eerder te zien in Manchester. De waarnemend directeur, tevens curator van de tentoonstelling in Gent, Bruno Fornari, is bereid gevonden, speciaal voor GNE Amsterdam, hier naartoe te komen om een inleiding te geven, in een powerpointpresentatie, over deze belangwekkende schilder. De lezing zal in het Nederlands zijn. Toegang voor leden is gratis, voor niet-leden 10 euro. Laten we hem verwelkomen met een volle zaal. De Nes loopt van de Dam naar het zuiden, evenwijdig aan het Rokin, vanaf Krasnapolski. Halverwege is een klein pleintje en daar is het. De lezing wordt gegeven in het restaurant op het eerste verdiep. Manfred op de Jungfrau
Thursday, May 24. Time 9.15 pm: Purcell‟s famous Dido and Aeneas will be performed by Holland Opera. Reduced price 49,50 euro‟s for GNE members, provided the booking is made before April 15. Reservations can be made by telephone: 033-2020929, To get the reduction of 10 euro‟s you need to mention you are a member of GNE. Dining before the performance is possible in restaurant Dido, nextdoor to the Veerenfabriek. Three course menu with mediterranean, Middle-east and Asian dishes. More information at www.hollandopera.nl Location: de Veerenfabriek, right behind Amersfoort Central train station, parking space available. From the (Dutch) website: In het meesterwerk van Purcell wordt het verhaal verteld van twee ontheemden. Dido, verbannen uit haar eigen land en Aeneas op zoek naar een nieuw rijk.Dido vraagt asiel aan en moet in een gevangenis haar aanvraag afwachten. Daar ontmoet zij Aeneas, een politicus met grote ambities. Dido en Aeneas worden wanhopig verliefd. Kan zij blijven en kiest hij voor haar? Of wordt zij teruggestuurd en reist hij verder naar een land waar hij zijn ambities kan verwezenlijken?
INVITATION Celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II with the GNE
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The Genootschap Nederland‐England (GNE) would like to make an advance announcement of an event to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. As part of the many celebrations that will take place both in the UK and The Netherlands, the GNE also intends to celebrate this very rare and special occasion. We will have a visit to the Rijksmuseum Twenthe, in Enschede, for a guided tour of a collection of British portraiture on loan from Tate Britain, followed by a traditional British garden party. Our guide to the collection will be one of the senior curators from the Tate, who is coming over specially. This event will take place on the afternoon of Saturday, 2nd June, which was the actual day of the coronation in 1953! It will be open to all GNE members and their guests, as well as other associations which are celebrating the occasion. Please put this date in your diaries. The event is still being planned but a confirmation with details will be announced soon on the GNE website (www.nederlandengeland.nl ‐> GNE national events). We are looking forward to welcoming you in Enschede! For further information , please visit the website of the museum www.rijksmuseumtwenthe.nl Then go to Agenda, click on Ladies and Gentlemen and scroll to the bottom where you will find the link to MUSE, the museum‟s magazine with an article by Martin Myrone and a lot of information regarding the exhibition.
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Wednesday, June 6th, Time: 20.30 Theater Bellevue (Holland Festival) “In an unnamed Arab state, in which all forms of theatre and public gatherings have been banned, a condemned 1960's performance of Shakespeare 's Twelfth Night becomes the focal point for resistance blogs and dissident social networks. The state, eager to quell this dangerous mixture of nostalgia and dissent, commissions the Speaker, a once radical theatre maker, now regime apologist, to make a forensic reconstruction and public denunciation of the1960's piece. But as the Speaker and his group of volunteers delve deeper. They find themselves increasingly engaged with the condemned material and discover in the act of performance, a solidarity that transforms the gathering into an unequivocal act of defiance towards the state. A dark satire on the decades of hopelessness and political intertia that fed the recent revolts across the Arab region.” Dutch surtitles. We have reserved 10 (!) seats for our members. Price: €. 22,50. Please let Monty know before April 5 if you want to join: first come, first served. Introduction at 19.45 pm, play starts at 20.30 .
Friday, June 15 Time: 8.15 pm Concertgebouw Kleine zaal. Concert with a discount for Members of GNE. Dame Emma Kirkby-soprano, James Lisney-piano, Joy Lisney-cello.Programme: Schubert-Beach-Debussy and the world premiere of the England based Dutch composer Jan Vriend‟s „Joy‟ GNE members pay 22,50 instead of 35 euro‟s, including coffee/tea/refreshments. To get the reduced price use code number MK120615
From our National Committee: June 16th, Nieuwe Bibliotheek, Almere Stad 13.30 hrs Op 11 februari j.l. was er een National Event in de Artisbibliotheek in Amsterdam met als hoofdattractie een optreden van de inmiddels overal bekende Redmond O'Hanlon. De zaal was geheel volgeboekt. De spreker bleek echter de nacht tevoren ziek te zijn geworden, waardoor er een aangepast programma is gepresenteerd, met de belofte dat geprobeerd zou worden O'Hanlon later alsnog te laten spreken. Dat is gelukt; hij komt nu op zaterdag 16 juni a.s. voor ons spreken in De Nieuwe Bibliotheek aan het Stadhuisplein in Almere-stad. Aanvang 13.30 uur, einde ongeveer 16.15 uur. Onderwerp zal zijn de reizen die hij gemaakt heeft, met diaprojectie op de achtergrond, met de nadruk op de tocht met de Beagle in het voetspoor van Darwin. Er zal gelegenheid zijn hem boeken te laten signeren. De bibliotheek (de modernste van het land) ligt op 5 minuten van het station; er is parkeergelegenheid (garage). Degenen die al in Amsterdam waren, ontvangen persoonlijk bericht. Er zal voor een beperkt aantal personen die alsnog willen komen gelegenheid zijn deze middag bij te wonen. Kosten 12 euro voor leden, 16 euro voor niet-leden. Dit kan een aanleiding zijn om belangstellende vrienden kennis te laten maken met het GNE. Inlichtingen en aanmelding, onder vermelding van GNE-branch en complete bereikbaarheidsgegevens, bij Monty Kraayeveld, Herengracht 409, 1017 BP Amsterdam, tel. 020-3315399, bij voorkeur per email
[email protected]. Deadline is 12 april a.s. Betalingen naar GNE Hoofdbestuur te Nederhorst den Berg, ABNAmRo 51.71.33.245. In april komt er nader bericht aan degenen die zich hebben aangemeld.
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Thursday, August 30: 19.30 hrs
The well known open-air Shakespeare theatre lllyria plays Henry V Tickets €. 15 when pre-booked between April 1 and June 1. Code for GNE: ADILL12 This is an offer exclusive for our members, on top of an already reduced price. Booking via the STET ticket-shop, to be found at www.theenglishtheatre.nl Location: Raadhuis De Paauw, Wassenaar (picture)
Soldaat van Oranje: Considering the long list of activities for this spring we decided to go to Soldaat van Oranje this autumn. Proposal for a date will be published in the next bulletin. A few members have already signed up but now there will be place for some more. Let Monty Kraayeveld know if you are interested: transportation is no problem.
September 15/16: Tour, led by the British Consul, John Cameron Webb to the battlefields of the Somme. Mr Cameron Webb is an expert on World War I. A separate notice will be sent to all members. Only a few places are still available. Please phone Monty Kraayeveld for more info.
Husbands: synopsis Three friends – Gus (Barry Atsma), Harry (Hans Kesting) and Archie (Roeland Fernhout) meet at the funeral of a mutual friend from their younger days. They throw caution to the wind and decide to spend four days away from the routine of their daily lives. They fly to London, a trip which becomes an adventure in all senses of the word. Having left their families and responsibilities behind them, they rush headlong into the city‟s hectic nightlife. They are catapulted back to their youth, revelling in their lust for life and living out their male fantasies. But all of this is set against a backdrop of mortal fear and the realization that three garages, five children and two wives are waiting for them back home.
john cassavetes Husbands is based on the film of the same name by John Cassavetes, who as well as being a director was also an actor and screenwriter. He won various prizes during his career, including the Golden Lion in Venice for Gloria. He was also nominated for an Oscar in 1974 for A Woman Under the Influence. The body of cinematographic work that he left us when he died at the age of nearly sixty in 1989 is characterized by his enormous love of actors. But we can also discern what we might call „human shortcomings‟, which the character of Archie describes as „guilt‟. Guilt about a life that is hinted at, but which is never really lived out, although it sometimes reveals itself in a moment of thrilling excitement. What we are actually catching a glimpse of is an explosive and unspeakable longing for another life. At the same time, it is a kind of implosion – an all-encompassing doubt about the nature of reality. Nothing is real any more. Cassavetes used not only the content, but also the form of his films to search for those rare, unguarded moments. He only began filming his actors after a long period of preparation and he wrote the dialogues on the basis of their improvisation. The result is pure and personal - cinema vérité. The Novel Reading Club will discuss: 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)
Addresses you might need: Mrs Kitty Kruijswijkv.d.Woude Chairman & secretary a.i. Hoge Horn 109 1506 MS Zaandam Tel.:075-6169936 Email:
[email protected] 5
Mr Monty.Kraayeveld (vice-chairman.) Herengracht 409 1017 BP Amsterdam Tel.: 0203315399 Email:
[email protected] Bank account number: 4677160 of Genootschap Nederland-Engeland afd. Amsterdam
Wednesday April 4: Venue: Kriterion Roeterstraat Amsterdam. Time: 19.30 hrs
El Premio. Documentary film about a seven year old girl suffering from persecution under the military junta in Argentina. Following the film the audience can join in a discussion with politicians and human rights activists. English subtitles.
Sunday, April 8: Barok Opera Amsterdam with a Purcell Gala in the Concertgebouw. A „theatrical‟ performance staging the main political and historical developments. The focus is on the later work of Henry Purcell, court musician to William and Mary.
Wednesday, May 9: Location: Kriterion Roeterstraat Amsterdam Time: 9.30 pm
A documentary film about failing justice in Congo under pressure of local and international NGO‟s. Language: French, Subtitles in English. “JUSTICE FOR SALE follows Claudine, a young and courageous human rights lawyer, in her struggle against injustice and widespread impunity in Congo. She investigates the case of Masamba, a soldier who was convicted of rape, and discovers that his trial was corrupt and unfair. He was jailed without any concrete evidence. In Claudine‟s journey to obtain justice, she uncovers a system where the basic principles of law are virtually ignored.”
Friday, June 8. Location: De Balie Amsterdam The In-Players with three one-act plays by Noel Coward. More information in the next bulletin.
More information about the National event of June 2nd. The programme will include a tour of the recently rebuilt “Roombeek” area, which was destroyed during the catastrophic explosions of S.E.Fireworks. 6
