for groups 5 to 8 primary education in Zeist and surrounding areas.
From Wednesday 13 to Sunday 24 May 2026, the tenth edition of International Song Festival Zeist will take place, our anniversary edition, with the theme 'Back to Nature'! Nature, the world around us, of which we are a part, the nature we can 'make' and break. Nature is also the inspiration for so many beautiful songs from then to now, also for our school youth.
In the school project A world full of insects, storyteller Eric Borrias brings Godfried Bomans' story Erik or the little bug book to life. Composer of the Netherlands Anne-Maartje Lemereis composed the project song, Mary Heylema wrote the lyrics. We invite you to participate with pupils from groups 5, 6, 7 and/or 8 in this song class project for primary schools. Join us and listen to the voice of nature together with your school pupils!
The aim is to encourage and develop pupils' singing pleasure and talent, by rehearsing the project songs with all participating schools and working on a special performance. After all, singing together is the basis of musical development. From the end of February 2026, pupils will receive singing lessons at school to study the songs and each school will receive a body percussion workshop. On Friday morning, 22 May, the festive presentation will take place in the Great Church Hall of the Evangelical Brethren Church. An unforgettable experience!
A world full of insects
One night, Erik Pinksterblom ends up in the painting full of insects above his bed. At once he is no taller than the insects around him. At first, everything is wonderful: no homework, no nagging parents, plenty of honey and everyone has great admiration for that strange 'insect' called man.
But Erik soon discovers that even in the insect world, every creature has its own peculiarities, that it too is full of braggarts, branies and vanities. He meets the wasp family, stays in a snail's shell, helps butterflies in love, but is also almost eaten by a spider, after which a bunch of gravediggers want to use him as a meal! So it's not all that fun either. How does he get back into the world outside the painting?
The musical basis of this project is the poem Een wereld vol insecten written by Mary Heylema and set to music by Anne-Maartje Lemereis, Composer of the Netherlands. Eric Borrias narrates the story Erik of het klein insectenboek, the school classes sing the project song and the songs and canons appropriate to the different scenes of this beautiful story. Some of the songs the pupils sing with body percussion, developed by music teacher Heiko de Jonge.
The project concludes with a festive performance at Friday morning 22 May in the Grote Kerkzaal on Zusterplein in Zeist, where the pupils sing the songs under the direction of choir conductor Annemiek van der Ven, with Matthijs Overmars at the piano and with storyteller Eric Borrias. The audience consists of (grand)parents, interested parties and festival visitors. Admission is free.
The group teacher and/or music teacher of the school rehearses the project song A world full of insects as well as a number of other songs and canons from the project with the pupils. Each school receives the following lessons and materials for the participating groups:
Don't have a group teacher or music teacher who can give singing lessons at school? It is also possible to have the singing lessons given by an enthusiastic singing teacher of the International Song Festival Zeist. Singing teachers Lea Zantinge or Joëlle Ocheng will then provide five singing lessons at your school in the period February-April 2026:
In the period between the singing lessons, the group teacher will continue practising in class so that the pupils can sing the songs properly during the festive performance. Naturally, you will also receive the materials and support described above.
request invite
until Friday 11 July 2025
placement
Monday 14 to Friday 18 July 2025
school visit project management
project information and coordinating timetable of singing lessons at school
September - November 2025
start learning project songs at one's own school
from February 2026
all singing lessons by singing teacher Lea Zantinge or Joëlle Ocheng (optional)
February - April 2026
body percussion workshop by music teacher Heiko de Jonge
April 2026
rehearsal at own school with choral conductor Annemiek van der Ven and pianist Matthijs Overmars
in the week from 12 to 16 May 2026
dress rehearsal
Large church hall EBG 9.00 - 10.15 am
Friday 22 May 2026
performance
Large church hall EBG 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Friday 22 May 2026
Participation in the song class project costs € 175 per school. The costs including five extra singing lessons by singing teacher Lea Zantinge amount to € 350 per school. If several groups from a school participate and the singing lessons for two or more groups have to be scheduled separately, there is an additional charge of € 175 per extra group. Parents and other interested parties attend the final performance free of charge. During the performance, there is an opportunity for the audience to donate to the education projects.
Registration is possible until Friday 11 July 2025 by sending an email or calling project leader Tyche Jacobs: t.jacobs@ilfz.nl / 06 5535 6397. When registering, please indicate the number of students you wish to participate with. There is room for up to five schools. Placement is in order of entry. We will contact you about placement in the week of 14-18 July 2025.
Registration is possible until Friday 11 July 2025 by sending an email or calling project leader Tyche Jacobs: t.jacobs@ilfz.nl / 06 5535 6397. When registering, please indicate the number of students you wish to participate with. There is room for up to five schools. Placement is in order of entry. We will contact you about placement in the week of 14-18 July 2025.
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