Forwarded by Michael Hiland.
Melissa plays like an angel — a very skilled one, too.'Il Silenzio' - Melissa Venema (13 yo)About six miles from Maastricht, in the Netherlands, lie buried 8,301 American soldiers who died in "Operation Market Garden" in the battles to liberate Holland in the fall and winter of 1944-5.Every one of the men buried in the cemetery, as well as those in the Canadian and British military cemeteries, has been adopted by a Dutch family who mind the grave, decorate it, and keep alive the memory of the soldier they have adopted.It is even the custom to keep a portrait of "their" American soldier in a place of honor in their home. Annually, on "Liberation Day," memorial services are held for "the men who died to liberate Holland." The day concludes with a concert.The final piece is always "Il Silenzio," a memorial piece commissioned by the Dutch and first played in 1965 on the 20th anniversary of Holland's liberation. It has been the concluding piece of the memorial concert ever since.This year the soloist was a 13-year-old Dutch girl, Melissa Venema, backed by André Rieu and his orchestra (the Royal Orchestra of the Netherlands). This concert piece is based upon the original version of taps and was composed by Italian composer Nino Rossi.
In this unique performance, the sound of the trumpet evokes harmony and heavenly peace. What a majestic interpretation! Il Silenzio' is an Italian instrumental piece written in 1965 by trumpet player Nini Rosso. Conductor André Rieu (born 1949) is a famous Dutch violinist, conductor, and composer.
13 comments:
Thank you to the people of Holland
One irony is that video capture is from the concert being shown on German TV.
I, too, was swept away and had a few tears gather quietly in my eyes. The overwhelming combination of thoughts flooded me : the perfection of this child's playing, the sublime nature of the song itself, the thought of more people than you and i will ever meet in our lifetime, all willingly sacrificing their lives to free a nation from the sort of tyranny that we are facing now... and that fact that none of the other places that were liberated by the Allies still hold even one drop of begrudging gratitude for our young men's and women's sacrifice on their behalf.
God bless the people of Holland.
Indeed sir, as did I. Thank you for presenting this.
Andre' Rieu is a fantastic conductor and musician in his own light. My favorite of his is another discovery of his Mirusia Louwerse a magnificent singer, singing "Ave Maria"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZoZwdesumY
Damn, I seem to have some dust in my eyes also.
Yes, thank you for remembering.
“When in 1966 Charles de Gaulle ordered France out of NATO and American troops off French soil, Secretary of State Dean Rusk asked him if that included the American soldiers lying dead in the cemeteries at Normandy and throughout France”
Does anyone think Obama ever heard of "Market Garden" or if He had did He assume it was part of Michel's organic food kick ?
What a waste. The huge loss of American soldiers, and now 70 years later all of western Europe is practically the socialist/fascist police state utopia Hitler dreamed of. The USA too.
I too, often feel The Silence. A beautiful, and somber tribute to the fallen. We can never repay them for their sacrifice, but we can at least be as brave and steadfast as them. Here they lie, obedient to our word.
"... and that fact that none of the other places that were liberated by the Allies still hold even one drop of begrudging gratitude for our young men's and women's sacrifice on their behalf."
And when (exactly) was the last time you were in France? You know, that country where Normandy is located, where families of cheese-eating surrender monkeys volunteer to groom the American Cemetery -- in gratitude for our young men's and women's sacrifice on their behalf...
Yeah, THAT France...
I was not prepared for this. Thank you anyway. Tears sometimes do help.
creeper
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