Amsterdam replaces singer at naturalization ceremonies with video

By Janene Pieters on January 11, 2017 - 13:15
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Amsterdam's city hall the Stopera (Photo: MichielverbeekNL/Wikimedia Commons). (Amsterdam's city hall the Stopera (Photo: MichielverbeekNL/Wikimedia Commons))

After years and years of performing live for the newly Dutch at their naturalization ceremony in Amsterdam's town hall, tenor Henk Kreukniet is being replaced by a video recording, AT5 reports.

According to Kreukniet, performing at the naturalization ceremonies was a weekly highlight for him. "Amazing, every time it was as if it was the first time. No routine, no weariness, every week we did it with pleasure", he said to the local broadcaster. 

Kreukniet even managed to get to Amsterdam Mayor Eberhard van der Laan, despite the fact that the mayor saw the performance week after week. "I saw him moved to tears with my songs", the tenor said to the broadcaster. "He said: 'I've heard you sing so often, but where you touched me this afternoon, how do you do that?' I do not know."

On Tuesday Kreukniet was replaced by a video recording. He decided to take it quietly. "25 years ago I would have freaked, then I would have felt hit below the belt. But now I think, there's nothing I can do."

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