A mermaid in Middelburg

Sunday 2nd August: once again a sweltering day. The kind of day when you crave water. And that is what we got - symbolically - in the atmospheric SmithArt gallery in Middelburg, with the recital The Mystery of the Sea by mezzo-soprano Eline Welle and pianist Charlie Bo Meijering. A wonderful fin de siècle programme that was as refreshing as a lovely downpour and as stimulating to the senses as a dive into cool waves.
photo: © Liesbeth Reijerkerk

With liederen by, amongst others, Elgar, Quilter, Duparc, Satie and Fauré, Eline and Charlie Bo took us on a journey through a story of gazing out over the chalk cliffs, setting sail, saying goodbye, daydreaming on deck, fantasising about places far, far away, coming home – and then, once again, being unable to resist the call of the vast sea.

Like an alluring mermaid, Eline mesmerised the audience with her rich, warm voice, and for Charlie Bo, with his great musicality and sense of nuance, no challenge was too great. He proved this once again with the piano work The Sunken Cathedral by Debussy, based on an old Breton myth about the sunken cathedral of the city of Ys, a fantastic intermezzo that fitted in perfectly within the programme.

The concert venue was packed to the rafters (tribute to hostess Tineke Smith and contact person Addy Nieuwenhuize!) and the large audience allowed themselves to be captivated and carried away wholeheartedly on this musical sea voyage, which the two musicians introduced briefly each time with a touch of humour here and there.

Following the thunderous final applause there was an encore, which was just as special as the intro to the concert. I won't give any more away; I would advise you simply to experience the programme for yourself on a future occasion (for example in Rotterdam on 27 February 2027).

Liesbeth Reijerkerk