It would have been close if a classical concert in 1990 would have been the treat for the Tilburg public. But it became a Festival of the Song of Life. And it still is thirty editions later. With one undisputed queen: Corry Konings.
Corry has to call a friend for it, but then it is clear: it will be her 29th performance at the Festival of the Life Song this weekend: “But once I was not there. That’s crazy! That I’ve been asked for so many years. For that I really have to thank all sponsors and volunteers, that they always want to have me. I am very happy with that.”
“The time was also very beautiful.”
It is also so close by for Corry, because she has been living in Tilburg and later Berkel-Enschot for 35 years. She has no clear memory of her first performance. She did have a big hit at that time that is very appropriate now: ‘Beautiful was the time’. “The time was also very beautiful,” she says about it now.
Board member Paul van Loon has been there from the very beginning. He devised the festival with the Junior Room, say a rotary for young people: “The intention was to organize a classical concert, with Emmy Verheij on violin. But I said, “We’re not going to do that.” We’re going to do something for the city. Why don’t we do something with the life song?”
So it was 1990 and people looked at the life song very differently, Van Loon knows: “It was the time of the bakkies and pirate stations. The idea for a festival of the life song was not immediately embraced. I had to lobby.”
“That never got off the ground.”
There was resistance: “That’s not possible, that won’t work, it never got off the ground”. Van Loon heard it a lot: “That typical Tilburg moaning.” But eventually the catering industry gave in and that’s when the ball started rolling.
It started with a small stage on Piusplein and a budget of 80,000 guilders: “I still remember many roses and a red curtain. Jacques Herb came to perform, Nico Landers, many local artists and of course Corry Konings.”
The Festival of the Life Song has a number of ambassadors and Corry Konings has been one of them since 2008. From the Paleisring, where the large stage will be located, she points to the end of the street, a hundred meters away: “All those people, they stand up to the houses there. It is then so busy, you can walk over the heads. But it’s just atmosphere and positive. It still gives me goosebumps.”
“Other Festivals of the Song of Life? Tasteless snack!”
Van Loon: “There are quite a few cities that have also tried to organize a Festival of the Song of Life. I don’t want to disappoint them, but it’s kind of a limp. They can’t get this done. And what you see on TV about festivals is supported by broadcasters. It is unique that this takes place on its own initiative.”
On Sunday at half past three in the afternoon, Corry Konings will perform. Of course she sings her greatest hits. But she also has a surprise: “John de Bever only performs in the evening. But he also comes especially in the afternoon to sing our hit song ‘A friend for life’ with me.”
The Festival of the Life Song is on Saturday and Sunday in the center of Tilburg (Paleisring). Admission is free.
