It is the biggest concert of the year for the members of the Royal Military Chapel ‘Johan Willem Friso’ from Assen. On Wednesday they will open the 50th edition of the TT Festival together with Emma Heesters, Marco Schuitmaker and Hendrik Jan Bökkers. “We are going to swing and turn it into a folk festival.”
Toine Weterings and Christelle van den Berg are looking forward to the concert. For the bastrombonist and the trumpet player of the orchestra, Weterings lives in Loon and Van den Berg in Assen, the TT Festival is a home game. “This is big, the carnival for the north. And we are lucky this year. Normally we will always play this weekend during the National Veterans Day in The Hague, but because of the NATO top the performance is canceled. So we can go into the city every evening and we will certainly do that.”
The Royal Chapel ‘Johan Willem Friso’ at the TT Festival, at first glance it is a special combination. But when you listen to the rehearsals, the harmony orchestra swings. Modern and popular songs are being played. And the chapel is not completely unknown at the festival.
“We performed there for the first time in 2017,” Weterings looks back. “Then we did a show together with Mooi Wark.” At that time that was very exciting. How would the public respond? Would be a beer thrown? It was a great success and there was no thrown at all. This time it will be much bigger. “
There is no tension now. The musicians are now used to playing at festivals. For example, the Harmonieorkest performed last year during the 5 May Concert on the Amstel in Amsterdam. “The TT Festival is the podium for us to perform,” says Van den Berg. “This shows the bond between us and the city. The more audience, the better. This will be a trip in our own city.”
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