The participating choirs on May 25, 2025
Eighteen choirs from North Holland and beyond sang alternately on the seven stages of Van Dorp tot Kust. They introduce themselves below.
Jeans with BeaT is a pop choir from Lelystad with a repertoire of more than 50 pop songs. These span the period from the 1960s to now, from The Beatles to Kensington.
The choir was founded in 2007 and currently consists of 34 members. Jeans with BeaT sings in at least four parts and strives to achieve the highest possible level in the pop genre. The choir is accompanied by song coach Brigitte Buringa. She directs a song from beginning to end and pays attention to stage presence, posture, sound, tempo and pronunciation. Jeans with BeaT performs especially at events, in care facilities and choir festivals.
Cantare was founded in 1997 as a church choir in Bakkum. The choir now sings in the Pancratius Church in Castricum. Over the years, Cantare has had around 40 members. In addition to church songs, the choir also has a broad and varied repertoire of pop and musical songs. Cantare performs these, among other places, at choir festivals such as Van Dorp tot Kust. The choir is led by Marieke Zondervan, Marion Stam and pianist Jaap Brackman. Cantare rehearses every Tuesday evening in the parish hall of the Pancratius Church. New members are warmly welcome.
De Compagniezangers is a classical sea shanty choir from Medemblik. The choir was founded in 1989 and consists of approximately 20 members, some of whom have been there from the start. The musical direction is in the hands of conductor Joost Doodeman; musical support is provided by accordionists Martien Tilburg and Roel Ensing.
In the 1990s, the singers regularly visited England, the birthplace of the sea shanty genre. De Compagniezangers perform mainly at sea shanty festivals in the Netherlands.
Erato Egmond is an enthusiastic choir from Egmond aan den Hoef. It was founded in 2012 and consists of 28 members. Pieter Ignatius is the conductor. Erato performs a varied repertoire, from classical pieces and pop music to musical numbers and world music. This choir performs at local and regional events, such as the annual Christmas and summer concerts in Egmond aan de Hoef, the choir festival in Monnickendam and performances in nursing homes.
Pop and show choir with 26 singers from Westfriese Koedijk. Conductor Olaf van Rijn leads the choir and it is musically supported by a four-piece band. Heartbeat was founded in 2000 and performs in all genres within pop music. It is an ambitious choir that participates in choir festivals in North Holland. HeartBeat releases a new show every two years. This year a special jubilee show to celebrate the 25th anniversary on November 21 and 22. There is also a Vocal Group Young HeartBeat: a group of 15 singers aged 12 to 18. At age 18, they can join HeartBeat.
KoorBisNis is from Anna Paulowna. The choir has 50 members and is led by Gaby de Goede. The musical accompaniment consists of keyboard, drums and flute. The repertoire is diverse. It ranges from classical to pop, musical and rock with songs including pieces by Queen, Beethoven, Fauré, Chi Coltrane, Mozart, Coldplay and Händel.
This African choir group was founded in 2004 and consists of 30 women. Kuzola means Passion. And that is evident in the dynamic way of singing, the African sounds and rhythms that create a lot of energy. Kuzola is from Velsen Noord and is led by Toiny Tune. The choir consists of over 30 members and offers women who want to sing African music the opportunity to experience the atmosphere, the timbres and the rhythms of African songs. Currently, some altos are warmly welcome.
Kuzola performs at cultural events, choir festivals and special occasions.
Ladies Choice is a 'worldly' pop choir. The choir has 35 enthusiastic ladies from the Castricum/Limmen region. Musical direction is by conductor Wilma Ploegaert. The choir consists of 33 members and sings 3- and 4-part songs in different musical styles from pop and world music. Ladies Choice is a merger of the former choirs Syngja and Limbeats and performs at choir festivals and in care homes.
De Lola's is a cheerful, energetic pop choir from Limmen. The name is an abbreviation of Lonneke's Lady's. It is about the singing Lady's of conductor Lonneke Lute. The repertoire focuses mainly on pop songs in the broad sense: from ballads to rock. The choir was formed in 2008 somewhat spontaneously. The 33 Lady's are supported by three experienced musicians and are regular participants of Van Dorp tot Kust.
A well-known choir that has provided performances in Castricum and the surrounding area for many years. Musical direction is by conductor Wilma Ploegaert. The repertoire is broad and consists mainly of pop songs from international and national origins. For major performances, such as a biennial own show in Fase Fier, the choir is accompanied by a live band. The choir was founded in 1998 and consists of 24 people.
A reputable choir from Egmond Binnen and a regular participant in Van Dorp tot Kust.
This choir consists of approximately 25 members and has Dorpshuis De Schulp in Egmond-Binnen as its home base. New Voice was founded in 2009, is led by Corine de Waard-Noort, and is musically accompanied by keyboardist Wilbert Commandeur and drummer Theo Leuring. The repertoire consists of songs released from the 1960s to the current top 40 which are performed at, among other things, choir festivals and events organized by Le Champion.
The Shantykoor Nootdweer from Zeist was founded in 2002 and has the motto 'A Shanty a day Keeps the Doctor Away'. Nootdweer brings entertainment with shanties, sea songs, Irish folk songs and Dutch sailor songs. Nootdweer performs some 15 to 20 times per year. The choir consists of over 50 singers (basses and tenors) who are accompanied by 4 accordionists under the direction of the conductor.
De Notenbalkers was founded as a choir in 2001 under the name Heemskerks Smartlappenkoor. Over the years, the repertoire has expanded. In 2015, the name of this choir was changed to De Notenbalkers, referring to the sound donkeys make. And the donkey is the nickname of the Heemskerk resident. The choir has 33 members and is led by conductor Jeannet van de Woude and is musically accompanied by accordionist Guus Hendriks and guitarist Nico Meijer. The repertoire consists of multi-part Dutch-language songs about life, love, the sea and Amsterdam.
Popkoor Prestige is a vibrant choir from Alkmaar and is part of Prestige Vocal Groeps. The choir was founded in 2015 and has a large repertoire with emphasis on the latest pop hits. These are sung in three or five parts. Popkoor Prestige has 95 members and performs at festivals and in theaters. Musical direction is in the hands of conductor Bas Gerwe. During performances, the choir is accompanied by the Prestige live band.
Puur#Hollands is a mixed choir from Heemskerk and focuses, as the name suggests, on Dutch-language repertoire. The choir has approximately 40 members and is led by conductor Frans Sueters. Performances are held annually and the choir organizes the so-called Vrijburchtfestival.
The Smartlappenkoor is a mixed Dutch-language choir. It was founded in 1989 and has approximately 45 members. The conductor is Karin Ravenstijn. The choir is accompanied by accordionists Rita te Boekhorst and Truus Beemsterboer. The repertoire is varied and consists of old and contemporary smartlappen, sailor songs and cheerful sing-alongs. The Smartlappenkoor Beverwijk performs regularly in care facilities, at festivals and at regional events.
The shanty choir from Castricum and organizer of Van Dorp tot Kust. This choir was founded in 1996 and has approximately 40 members. The name refers to the shell fishers who in earlier years fished shells from the beach for lime production for house building. The repertoire consists of shanties as well as folk songs and popular Dutch-language songs. The choir is directed by conductor Marcel Klaver. Three accordionists provide musical support. Accordionist Els is the only woman in this choir.
For centuries, the skippers from Ouderkerk aan den IJssel have sailed the Hollandsche IJssel. They are called "De IJsselmannen". In 2002, the shanty choir De IJsselmannen was founded and is one of the largest choirs in the country. De IJsselmannen are known for their enjoyment of singing, their varied repertoire (190 songs in Dutch, English, German and French) and the interaction between choir and audience. Performances are held at companies, care institutions, conferences, festivities, shanty festivals and on cruise ships.
For information, send an email to info@skulpers.nl or fill in the contact form.