The New Amsterdam History Center and the Morgan Library and Museum 

Cordially invite you to

Camerata Trajectina Concert with narration by Jaap Jacobs

A Dutch early music ensemble

The Sounds of the City as Heard by Jacob Steendam, the First Poet of New York

In this special program, Camerata Trajectina follows in Jacob Steendam’s (1616-1672) footsteps and presents Dutch music that once echoed off the walls of the houses of New Amsterdam. Interspersed with anecdotes and quotes from original sources, this program recreates the soundscape and musical culture of Dutch Manhattan, thus providing a unique perspective on early New York. Composers will include Jacob van Eyk, William Byrd, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, and Claude Goudimel, as well as Camerata’s own versions of popular folk tunes. Co-presented with the Morgan Library.

Tickets:

$35 - General Admission

$25 - Morgan and New Amsterdam History Center members

Please enjoy the video of the concert

ABOUT CAMERATA TRAJECTINA

The Low Countries are world-renowned for the art of the 16th and 17th centuries. Paintings often depict instruments and musicians, engaged in playing chamber music in the home or even taking a private music lesson. Camerata Trajectina performs the music as it might have sounded in these depictions.

Camerata Trajectina has made its name as the “Musical Treasury of the Netherlands.” Our programs combine popular ditties of the 17th century with works of the great Renaissance and Baroque composers, often presented against a political, literary, or artistic backdrop. For nearly 50 years, they have performed countless times at national memorials and royal visits, on radio and on television. They have made nearly 50 recordings and were awarded an Edison Klassiek prize for their recording of the Antwerp Songbook.

In 2014, Camerata Trajectina received the Visser-Neerlandia award for culture from the Algemeen-Nederlands Verbond. The jury was laudatory: “Thanks to their meticulous research and performance, Camerata Trajectina has enriched our understanding of Dutch music from the Middle Ages to the early Baroque. The ensemble brings to light a treasure-trove of previously unknown works, performed passionately and expertly, reaching a wide range of culture enthusiasts.”

“Sublimely performed, just as beautifully recorded, and scrupulously documented. This is a tightly knit ensemble that blows off the dust of centuries, presenting this music in a completely effortless performance.” – Opus Klassiek

New York was once known as New Amsterdam, a Dutch settlement on the island of Manhattan. Its first inhabitants arrived from the Low Countries in the early seventeenth century, bringing their habits and traditions.

For this program, Camerata teams up with Dr. Jaap Jacobs, an eminent historian of Dutch New York and author of many books and articles on New Amsterdam and its people. The combination of Camerata’s long experience in recreating seventeenth-century Dutch music and Jacobs’s historical expertise ensures the audience an exhilarating and unforgettable musical experience.

Performers

Nico van der Meel, tenor
Wendy Roobol, soprano
Saskia Coolen, recorder
Cassandra Luckhardt, viola da gamba
Arjen Verhage, lute