A world full of insects

Presentation school project for groups 5 to 8 of primary schools in Zeist and environs led by choral conductor Annemiek van der Ven, with narrator Eric Borrias, Matthijs Overmars piano and lyre, conducted by. Lea Zantinge.

Since early spring, hundreds of schoolchildren in and around Zeist have been experiencing how much fun it is to sing together and prepare a performance. During the school project A world full of insects primary school pupils studied 12 liederen in order to tell the story from Erik or the little bug book to life. In that story, Erik Pinksterblom ends up in the painting above his bed one night. At once he is no taller than the insects around him. This seems wonderful, but he soon discovers that even in the insect world, every critter has its peculiarities and all is not as nice as thought. But how does he get back into the world outside the painting?

With the presentation in the Grote Zaal, 260 pupils from five primary schools in and around Zeist will festively close this project. Eric Borrias tells the story and the pupils from various schools in Zeist and the surrounding area sing the liederen they studied and thelied project. If only I were a centipede. That lied was commissioned by Internationaal Lied Festival Zeist and composed by Anne-Maartje Lemereis to a text by Mary Heylema. Annemiek van der Ven is the conductor of this choir, Matthijs Overmars takes his place behind the grand piano and Lea Zantinge leads the lyre playing.

Performers

Eric Borrias, narrator

Annemiek van der Ven, choral conductor

Matthijs Overmars, piano

Heiko de Jonge, body percussion

Pupils Of the:
Comenius School Zeist ,
Juliana school Bilthoven,
Tobias School Zeist,
Zeister School Association and
Zeister Free School

Location

Great Hall
Evangelical Brotherhood
Zusterplein 12, 3703 CB Zeist

Biography

Eric Borrias / narrator

Eric Borrias had a penchant for storytelling and acting from an early age. In secondary school, he founded his own cabaret group and played in an amateur theatre company. In the 1990s, Borrias developed into a full-time storyteller and eventually joined Het Verteltheater, where he achieved great success with adaptations of famous children's books. He also appeared at major storytelling festivals in Europe. Since the solo performance Inside the Gates about Jules Schelvis - survivor of the Sobibor extermination camp - he has performed regularly at commemorations, symposiums and exhibitions on World War II. For Inside the Gates, he received the Rachel Borzykowski medal, a token of appreciation from the Sobibor Foundation. Meanwhile, Borrias is increasingly active as a storytelling coach, director and voice actor.

Matthijs Overmars / piano

Matthijs Overmars studied school music and choral conducting at the Utrecht Conservatory. During his studies, he and four fellow students founded the a capella group Intermezzo, which grew into a professional and internationally acclaimed vocal ensemble with its own concept and signature.
In recent years, Overmars worked as a choral conductor, teacher of music, choral singing, handicrafts and flute making at the Zeister Free School. Earlier, he was also associated with Academy De Wervel, Hogeschool Helicon, the Zeister Kamerkoor and as a teacher at the multi-year conductor training programme of the Utrecht Centre for the Arts. In 2010, he started the project children's choir Spring.

Annemiek van der Ven / choral conductor

Annemiek van der Ven completed her Music Teaching studies, with a minor in classical singing, at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague and obtained her diploma in choral conducting cum laude at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. As first alto, she was a member of the female a cappella ensemble Wishful Singing for several years.
From her student days, Annemiek conducted several choirs in different genres. She was the permanent conductor of the VU Choir and conducted ensembles such as The Gents and Coqu on a project basis. She was also associated with Vocaal Talent Nederland as a music educator and conductor. Van der Ven is currently a teacher and lecturer in music at the Zeister Free School.

Roel Vogel / choral conductor

Roel Vogel studied Music Education at the Utrecht Conservatoire and Choral Conducting at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague with Jos van Veldhoven and Jos Vermunt. He graduated with a music theatre production developed in collaboration with Michiel de Regt. Vogel deepened his knowledge during various courses, including the Kurt Thomas Course and lessons with musicians such as Hans Leenders and Micha Hamel.
Vogel is permanent conductor of the Klein Operakoor and the Utrecht Oratorio Association. In addition, he conducts various project choirs and orchestras and is attached as a specialist teacher to the Vrije School Utrecht. He is also involved as an initiator and conductor in various new music theatre productions and conducts the project ‘Sustained singing in TivoliVredenburg’ with children from primary schools in Utrecht.

Lea Zantinge / singing teacher

Lea Zantinge has been singing in choirs since a young age and was a member of the Nationaal Vrouwen Jeugdkoor, among others. In 2013, she completed the Opleiding Docent Muziek at the former Hogeschool Helicon in The Hague. Zantinge is a singing teacher at the National Choirs, where she works with the youngest children. She also gives music lessons to toddlers and is attached to the Vrije School Dietzenbach in Germany, where she accompanies the middle and upper choir on their choral and orchestral tours. Zantinge is also active in the Human and Music Foundation and in projects for schools, focusing on the importance of good music education in primary schools.