Voorschoten Joins the "Carillons for Peace in Ukraine" Initiative
Friday, February 24, marks one year since the Russian army invaded Ukraine. To show our solidarity with Ukrainian refugees, carillonneurs throughout the Netherlands will play the carillon from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m. In Voorschoten, carillonneur Gijsbert Kok will play the carillon at the Dorpskerk.
Gerda Peters is the city carillonneur for the municipality of Voorburg. Together with the Rotary Club of Voorburg, she came up with the idea of playing the carillon on February 24 with music that reflects the themes of solidarity, compassion, peace, and love. Carillonneurs from the Royal Dutch Carillon Society and Rotary clubs throughout the Netherlands, as well as in Poland, quickly adopted the idea.
In Voorschoten, carillonneur Gijsbert Kok will perform on the Dorpskerk carillon from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m. The repertoire consists largely of Ukrainian songs and compositions by Ukrainian composers. Gijsbert will conclude the performance with the Ukrainian national anthem, after which the clock will strike eight. Following that, we will observe two minutes of silence in Voorschoten.
We share in your grief
“No one could have foreseen that the war would last this long,” says Mayor Nadine Stemerdink. “Our hearts go out to all the men and women on the front lines, the Ukrainians who have lost family members, and the millions of refugees. Today, we are opening our hearts even wider to our Ukrainian neighbors.”
Fighting continues in Ukraine to this day. The war is having a profound impact. Millions of people have been forced to flee, including to the Netherlands. Here in our country, they can count on safety. More and more refugees are learning our language and even finding jobs, but the war remains a part of their lives every day.