Project choir town twinning visits the Belgian twin town Bocholt

More than 30 members of the town twinning project choir now sang a joint concert with the Belgian Bocanto Choir in our twin town Bocholt. In order to have time for meetings, the choir travelled to the Belgian twin town already on 28 October. The travellers experienced a varied programme of sightseeing, an official reception and the joint concert followed by a drink with beer from our twin town.

10 years after the last choir visit, as a small anniversary so to speak, the Bocholt Town Twinning Project Choir visited the Belgian twin town of Bocholt on the last weekend in October. 42 participants, including 33 choristers, travelled to the twin town mainly by bus to perform a joint concert with the friendly choir Bocanto.

The city of Bocholt was represented by the deputy mayor Gudrun Koppers and the head of EUROPE DIRECT Bocholt, Sonja Wießmeier, both also choir members of the project choir.

At the official reception on Saturday in the town hall of Belgian Bocholt, Gudrun Koppers thanked the mayor for the invitation and pointed out the importance of town twinning in Europe for peace and friendship through encounters in culture and music in our troubled times. Thanks also went to the twinning officer of Bocholt (B) Koen Nijsen for the excellent organisation of the stay.

Concert on Sunday

At the joint concert on Sunday with the choir Bocanto, both choirs sang the European anthem at the end. The programme also included secular and sacred songs sung in German, English, Dutch and French. The project choir was conducted by Klaus Tewes, accompanied at the piano by pianist Nanako Fukuda. Klaus Tewes and Nanako Fukuda also treated the concert-goers to works for horn and piano.

They said goodbye in the evening by singing together, united with all the choir members and guests. The Bocholt song was sung, which choir member Hein Bouwens had already creatively adapted in Flemish and German before the trip, to the delight of all involved. "These personal encounters are important so that we Europeans continue to stick together even in difficult times," says Sonja Wießmeier from EUROPE DIRECT Bocholt.

About the EUROPE DIRECT Bocholt

The EUROPE DIRECT Bocholt is part of the office of the Mayor of the City of Bocholt and is the local contact point for questions concerning the European Union. Its task is to provide local citizens with information, advice, help and answers to questions about Europe. Furthermore, it is the aim of the EUROPE DIRECT Bocholt to provide European