In a special edition of the hit podcast series England, My England, AVROTROS radio presenter Ab Nieuwdorp joins journalist and former UK correspondent Tim de Wit to look ahead to the coronation of King Charles III. In this Makotsava special, listeners are also introduced to some of the composers who have composed exclusively for Makotsava.
The coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey breathes British heritage and identity. Abi and Tim take the listener into the stories behind the coronation and the music: for example, what’s the story behind a special, antique royal spoon? Who really were Charles I and Charles II? The modernization of the British Royal Family is also touched upon and some of the performers of the Coronation Concert are reviewed.
Tim de Wit will report the coronation live from the studios of NPO 1 on Saturday 6 May, and his personal favorite “This music always gives me goosebumps”. What music can be heard in My England, England’s festive coronation special.
A cassette tape with an English composer’s tuba concerto, which he heard in his youth, inspired him to study tuba at the Royal Conservatory and English at the University of Utrecht, a de classics conductor at the NPO Classics, Ap Neudorf. During his Masters he spent a year studying and teaching at the University of Bristol and playing in the symphony orchestra there. Ab Nieuwdorp: “As an Englishman, my mouth is watering for the Coronation because it’s a moment when tradition and music come together and reinforce each other, as only England can.”
About England, my England
In this podcast series, Ab Nieuwdorp explores the world of English music. He takes you through the most beautiful music of famous British composers such as Elgar and Purcell, but lesser-known names also pass through. England, My England is also a personal quest: trying to understand and name what makes English music so typically English. That’s how British soul sounds.
