In honor of the 70th anniversary of the Haarlem Koorschool, former student and TV producer Ivo Cottaar has made a six-part documentary series about the school. The documentary is called ‘Kinderen van de Koorschool’ and it went into premiere this afternoonere in the Philharmonie in Haarlem. “The documentary is now also online and I hope that many people will watch it because it is really unique what we have here in Haarlem,” says Cottaar.
for the premiumere the red carpet was rolled out and all 90 students of the school and their families were invited. “I like that all the time we filmed is now being celebrated and that people can see it,” says Cato, a grade 8 student, together with Joona and Lodewijk, they are the protagonists in the docuseries.
“I’ve already seen it and it turned out very beautiful, so I’m very curious what everyone will think about it,” says Joona.
Unique school
At the choir school there are about 90 students in groups 5 to 8. In addition to normal education, the children receive professional music training and they regularly sing in the St. Bavo Cathedral.
Ivo Cottaar followed the students at school for six months, during excursions and performances. “It’s a really unique school because the students receive professional singing training and are members of a choir. What’s nice about the documentary is that the story is told by the children.”
The entire docuseries was shown this afternoon in the Philharmonie and Constance Huveneers, director of the school was deeply impressed. “I am proud and moved,” she says. When Cottaar suggested the idea to make a docuseries about the school last year, she was immediately enthusiastic. “We have been working for years to put the Koorschool on the map, because many people do not find the school because they do not know that it exists. With this documentary, people get an idea of the school and you see how nice it is.”
The six-part series can be seen on the site from the Choir School, starting today online and from 9 March on TV at NH Nieuws. The episodes are also broadcast on H105.