As part of the 1956 Commemoration Season in the Netherlands, the choirs Toonkunstkoor Caecilia and the Philips' Philharmonisch koor, performed the Psalmus Hungaricus (1923) by Kodály and Requiem of Fauré at the Theater De Spiegel in Zwolle on Tuesday 1 November.
The two choirs were directed by the Hungarian conductor Beni Csillag. The theme of the concert was ‘commemorating’. Next to the Psalmus Hungaricus, the two choirs and orchestra performed two other pieces by Kodály, namely the ‘Jézus és a kufárok’ and the Marosszek Dances, in order to commemorate the Revolution. The survivors of ’56 were commemorated with the Requiem of Fauré.
The concert was opened by the Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Hungary, Mr Zoltán Lékó. Mr Lékó spoke about the Revolution and explained what happened exactly 60 years ago, on 1 November in Budapest; Hungary stepped out of the Warsaw Pact and declared its neutrality.
Musical guidance was provided by the Orkest van het Oosten. The concert was concluded by standing ovation from the public.
