New Year’s Concert January 7, 2017.

New Year's concert. On Saturday January 7th we attended the New Year's concert in the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. The Ziggo Dome is a concert hall with a capacity of 17.000 people. 6300 in the field and two tiers higher up and around. The building is named after the Dutch cable TV provider Ziggo. It is an indoor arena for various events. This was be the first concert of André Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra without their beloved trombonist Ruud Merx. When they entered I felt a lot of emotions. They were so warmly welcomed by the audience. I had tears in my eyes and other fan friends assured me that they felt the same way. André said that this will be a tradition for the next 100 years: every first Saturday in January he will perform a New Year's concert in the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. The hall is situated outside the city center of Amsterdam but there is a fast train/metro connection to the city center. Many fans stayed at the JAZ Hotel next door. Ruud and I arrived by car since we live in The Hague. It's a one hour drive to Amsterdam. For the first time this winter there was a little bit of snow and icy roads, but the highways were clear. We had purchased a reserved parking place in advance in the Dome's garage (€ 22). With the ArenA Stadium and the Heineken Music Hall close by, this area can become very crowded. André and the JSO performed a perfect show. André established the Johann Strauss Orchestra in 1987, so in 2017 they celebrate their 30 year jubilee. No reference to the tragedy which had hit them such a short time ago. The first rehearsal after Ruud's passing had taken place in the studios where the orchestra could deal with the loss. Today they promised the audience a party of celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Johann Strauss Orchestra. A program full of beautiful music, entertainment, some joking by André and Frédéric Jenniges, snow (Hanne Jäger was fully in the snow-zone and regularly on the big screens), balloons, walking conga lines, dancing and singing. A surprise were the professional waltzing couples from the Maastricht concerts of 2016. We think there is no better way to heal this way. Also for André and the orchestra members themselves. Of course Lin was not there yet. I really hope that she will return, whenever she is ready. She will be in a warm bath surrounded by supporting friends. Léon and Dennis Close played the trombones. After a long time we saw Judith Luesink in the choir and Cord Meyer in the orchestra. And Jamie Vinders was added again to the four Falize percussionists, who performed the Bolero. Donij van Doorn and Anna Majchrzak performed a solo song (My lips kiss like wine and On my own). Anna Reker joined them with Libiamo (drinking song) and Im Weissen Rössl (White Horse Inn). In the choir we saw: Judith Meyer-Luesink, Anna Reker, Madieke Schoots, Kalki Schrijver, Virgenie Henket-Wetzels, Karin Haine. The encores consisted of Hallelujah, Falling in Love, and the audience lit up the hall with 17.000 little led lights. It was amazing to see all those lights…. all over the hall… even up into the highest ring under the ceiling. So nice, so romantic. As a contrast there was a lot of action with Tutti Frutti and Stéphanie tap dancing on the piano. This is the track list: 1. Seventy six trombones 2. Blaze away 3. G'schichten aus dem Wienerwald (Stories from the Viennese Woods). (Frédéric Jenniges) 4. The Third Man (Frédéric Jenniges) 5. Dein ist mein ganzes Herz (You are my heart's delight). (Platin tenors) 6. Da geh' ich zu Maxim (I go to Maxim’s). (Platin Tenors) 7. Hava Nagila (Manoe Konings) 8. Volga Song 9. Het kleine Café aan de haven (The Red Rose Café) 10. You never walk alone Intermission 1. On my own (Anna Majrchzak) 2. Trumpet Voluntary 3. Lara's theme 4. Poliushko Polie 5. Snow Waltz 6. Salome 7. Sabeltanz (Saber dance) 8. Meine Lippen sie küssen so heiss (My lips kiss like wine). (Donij van Doorn) 9. An der schönen blauen Donau (Blue Danube) 10. Bolero. We met familiar fans like Torben and Kirsten Esbensen from Denmark, Sally Hodges (UK) Jacqui Schulz (UK/SA), Kurt Bochner from California USA, Jeanet Heymans from Holland, Hanne from Germany, Sonja Harper (USA), Bebe Maggiori (UK). Our neighbors on our row were from Switzerland and Austria. Behind us were people from Israel. When André asked the people where they came from, we heard from the audience: Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, Portugal, UK. It is really amazing!!! After the concert my Ruud was again the lucky person who received André's flower bouquet. For the second time! In Liverpool we left the bouquet with Richard and Linda, but this time we took it home to The Hague. The bouquet was so big, that I had to make it into two bouquets, because I did not have a vase big enough for the bouquet. Ineke.