It is the highlight for the Asser Mannenkoor. Saturday evening they will be in a swirling DNK with their anniversary concert ‘Eeeuwig Jong’. The performance closes the centenary year.
‘Eternally Young’, that’s how these men feel too, but that won’t last forever. That is why the choir is looking for new, but especially young talent.
In order to attract that young talent, there have been a number of changes in recent years, says Gerrit Eerland. “Especially in the repertoire, a lot has changed in recent years. When I first joined the choir, 45 years ago, it was stiff, solemn, formal, we still sang songs from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Real choral music, opera. And now we sing modern pop music from the last century, such as Metallica, Elvis and The Beatles.”
The men’s concerts have also changed. “We used to sing heavy songs before the break and after the break it became lighter. Now it is more of a total picture. That way we also get help from others,” says Eerland proudly. This Saturday, for example, Jeugdcircus Bombari, the youth choir of Koorschool Drenthe and Singer-songwriter Christy Boer will be on stage.
At 42 years old, Peter Tuinstra is the youngest member of the choir. “Shall I tell you why it’s so nice?”, he says with a laugh. “It doesn’t matter how old you are for the Men’s Choir sound. You always have the same sound. And if you like that, then you should come to the choir.”
For those who don’t have anything planned yet on Saturday evening, there are still a few tickets available for the anniversary concert. And according to Eerland it is different from what people are used to from the men’s choir.