Christmas Scratch at the Dorpskerk Brings Musicians and Audience Together

More than sixty musicians and singers from Voorschoten performed a Christmas scratch concert at the Dorpskerk on Sunday, December 11. A scratch concert is a performance in which local musicians rehearse a Christmas repertoire in just a few hours and perform it for an audience the same day. Hans van der Elst, the alderman for culture, was one of the participants.

The Christmas Scratch is an initiative of the Cultuurfabriek Voorschoten. Under the musical direction of conductor Maria Rosenmöller, the musicians and singers from Voorschoten will do their very best on Sunday to master the repertoire in just a few hours. At the end of the afternoon, they will perform the result. More than a hundred audience members will be there to witness it.

“Music brings people together,” says Hans van der Elst (Voorschoten Lokaal), the alderman for Culture, who has been playing the trumpet since he was a child. “But a scratch concert is something extra special. In just a few hours, you work with other music lovers in an ad-hoc ensemble to prepare a performance for an audience. It was wonderful that more than a hundred people came to listen to us in the beautiful Dorpskerk. All in all, it was a delightful gathering. Both the musicians and the audience are already looking forward to the next edition.”

Council members Conny van der Krogt (GroenLinks) and Cees Bremmer (CDA) are also taking part in the Christmas scratch. Conny plays the tenor saxophone and Cees sings in the choir. The Cultuurfabriek is delighted that more than sixty musicians and singers from Voorschoten are participating in the Christmas scratch. Together, they’re showing how culture grows and flourishes in Voorschoten. Especially during these dark and cold days, the musicians and singers bring a ray of light in the form of music.