Know Before You Go!

James Whitbourn

Annelies

“If you become part of the suffering, you’ll be entirely lost”

1. Introit – prelude

2. The capture foretold

Up above you can hear the breathing,

eight pounding hearts, footsteps on the stairs,

a rattling on the bookcase.

Suddenly, a couple of bangs.

Doors slammed inside the house

(11April 1944)

We are in blue sky,

surrounded by black clouds.

See it, the perfectly round spot?

but the clouds are moving in,

and the ring between danger grows smaller.

We look at the fighting below,

and the peace and beauty above,

but the dark mass of clouds looms before us,

and tries to crush us.

O ring, ring, open wide and let us out!

(8 November 1943)

3. The plan to go into hiding

When would we go into hiding?

Where would we hide?

In the city? In the country? In a house? In a shack?

(8 July 1942)

These questions kept running through my mind.

I started packing my important belongings.

The first thing was my diary.

Memories mean more to me than dresses.

(8 July 1942)

Ik zal, hoop ik, aan jou alles kunnen toevertrouwen, zoals ik het nog aan niemand gekund heb, en ik hoop dat je een grote steun voor me zult zijn.

I will, I hope, be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to do to anyone, and I hope that you will be a great support to me.

(12 June 1942)

It seems like years since Sunday morning.

So much has happened,

it’s as if the whole world had

suddenly turned upside down.

(8 July 1942)

4. The last night at home and arrival at the Annexe

My last night in my own bed.

A warm rain fell.

The four of us wrapped in layers of clothing,

the stripped beds, the breakfast things on the table.

We closed the door behind us.

(8 July 1942)

Walking in the pouring rain,

walking down the street,

each of us with a satchel filled to the brim.

(9 July 1942)

We arrived at Prinsengracht,

led through the long passage

and up the wooden staircase

to the Annexe.

The door was shut behind us,

leaving us alone.

Alone.

Then for the first time,

I found a moment to tell you about it,

to realise what had happened to me,

and what was about to happen.

(10 July 1942)

We’re Jews in chains,

chained to one spot,

without any rights,

a thousand obligations.

We must be brave

and trust in God.

(11 April 1944)

5. Life in hiding

The days here are very quiet,

(1 October 1942)

having to sit still all day

and not say a word,

you can imagine how

hard that is for me.

On ordinary days, we speak in a whisper.

Not being able to talk is worse.

(29 September 1942)

The silence makes me so nervous,

but the chiming of the Westertoren clock

reassures me at night.

(11 July 1942)

You no doubt want to hear

what I think of life in hiding?

(11 July 1942)

The blue sky, the bare chestnut tree,

glistening with dew,

the seagulls, glinting with silver

swooping through the air.

As long as this exists,

the sunshine and this cloudless sky,

how can I be sad?

(23 February 1944)

Prospectus and Guide to the Secret Annexe.

A Unique Facility for the Temporary Accommodation of Jews and Other

Dispossessed Persons.

Now our Annexe has truly become a secret,

a bookcase has been built in front of the entrance.

It swings on its hinges

and opens like a door.

It is Open All Year Round,

Located in Beautiful, Quiet, Wooded Surroundings,

In the Heart of Amsterdam.

Inside it is Necessary to Speak Softly at all times,

Singing is Permissible, only Softly and After Six pm!

17 November 1942)

The strangest things happen when you’re in hiding.

Try to picture this.

We wash ourselves in a tin tub,

since the curtains are drawn,

we scrub ourselves in the dark,

while one looks out the window

and gazes at the endlessly amusing people.

(29 September 1942)

The children run around in thin shirts

and wooden clogs.

They have no coats, no socks,

no caps and no one to help them.

Gnawing on a carrot to still their hunger,

they walk from their cold houses through cold streets.

(13 January 1943)

One day this terrible war will be over,

and we’ll be people again,

and not just Jews.

(11 April 1944)

6. Courage

If you become part of the suffering,

you’d be entirely lost.

(7 March 1944)

Der Winter ist vergangen.¹

Ich seh’ des Maien Schein;

Ich seh’ die Blümlein prangen;

Des ist mein Herz erfreut.

Da singt Frau Nachtigalle

Und manch’ Waldvögelein.

(German trad.)

Beauty remains,

even in misfortune.

One who is happy will make others happy,

one who has courage will never die in misery.

(7 March 1944)

Ade, mein’ Allerliebste!

Ade, schön’s Blümlein!

Ade, schön’ Rosenblume;

Es muß geschieden sein!

Das Herz in meinem Leibe

Gehört ja allzeit dein.

(German trad.)

1. Annelies Marie Frank was born in the German city of Frankfurt to German parents, and lived in Germany until her family emigrated to Holland when she was four years old. Her mother was always more comfortable with the German language than with Dutch. Although Anne learned Dutch, and wrote the diary in her adopted language, she was familiar with German poems and prayers, especially those given to her by her mother. This was originally a Dutch song that became popular in Germany during the seventeenth century. Its translation reads:

“The winter is over, I see the light of May; I see blossoms everywhere; and my heart is pleased. There sings the Nightingale and the small forest birds; Goodbye, my beloved! Goodbye, beautiful blossoms! Goodbye, beautiful rose flower; I must leave you. My love for you will burn in my heart forever.”

7. Fear of capture and the second break-in

In the evenings,

when it’s dark,

lines of good innocent people

and crying children

walk on and on,

ordered by men who bully

and beat them.

No one is spared,

all are marched to their death.

(19 November 1942)

Westerbork! Westerbork!²

Night after night,

green and grey vehicles

cruise the streets

and knock on every door.

(19 November 1942)

Westerbork! Westerbork!

Sshh. I heard a sound from the bookcase,

hammering on the door.

We turned white with fear.

Had he heard something, this stranger?

Open up! Open up!

In my imagination,

the man kept growing and growing,

until he became a giant,

the cruellest fascist in the world.

(20 October 1942)

2. The Dutch Jews were required to build and pay for a refugee camp when Justice Minister Gosling allowed 8,000 refugees into the Netherlands in 1938. This refugee camp, which was built at Westerbork, later became the transit camp where Jews were held before being taken to Auschwitz and Sobibor.

8. Sinfonia (Kyrie)

Kyrie eleison.

(Greek liturgical)

Help us. Rescue us from this hell.

(27 November 1943)

We must be brave and trust in God.

(11 April 1944)

9. The dream

Last night, just as I was falling asleep,

an old friend appeared before me.

I saw her there,

dressed in rags,

her face thin and worn.

She looked at me with such sadness.

Anne, why have you deserted me?

Help me, help me, rescue me from this hell!

(27 November 1943)

She symbolises to me

the suffering of all my friends,

and all the Jews.

When I pray for her,

I pray for all those in need.

(6 January 1944)

Merciful God,

comfort her,

remain with her so she won’t be alone.

(27 November 1943)

Dear God,

watch over her and bring her back to us.

(29 December 1943)

10. Devastation of the outside world

On Sunday, Amsterdam was bombed.

(19 July 1943)

The planes dived and climbed.

The air was abuzz with the drone of engines.

(26 July 1943)

The streets are in ruins, countless are wounded.

In the smouldering ruins, children search forlornly

for their parents

(19 July 1943)

It makes me shiver

to think of the dull, distant drone

of approaching destruction.

(19 July 1943)

I wander from room to room,

climb up and down the stairs

and feel like a songbird,

whose wings have been ripped off

and who keeps hurling itself

against the bars of its dark cage.

(29 October 1943)

‘Let me out, where there’s fresh air and laughter,’

a voice within me cries.

(29 October 1943)

11. Passing of time

The years went by.

There’s a saying: “Time heals all wounds,”

that’s how it was with me.

(7 January 1944)

Until one day,

I saw my face in the mirror.

It looked so different.

My eyes were clear and deep,

my cheeks were rosy,

my mouth was softer.

I looked happy,

and yet, in my expression, there was something

so sad.

(7 January 1944)

12. The hope of liberation and a spring awakening

This is D-Day,

this is the day.

Fighting will come,

but after this the victory!

Eleven thousand planes,

four thousand boats,

is this the beginning

of the long-awaited liberation?

(6 June 1944)

I walk from one room to another,

breathe through the crack in the window frame,

feel my heart beating as if to say,

“Fulfil my longing at last…’

I think spring is inside me,

I feel spring awakening,

I feel it in my entire body and soul.

(12 February 1944)

Ich danke dir für all das Gute und Lieve und Schöne.³

(7 March 1944)

3. This phrase appears in German in the diary. It translates: ‘Thank you, God, for all that is good and dear and beautiful’.

13. The capture and the concentration camp

On August the 4th 1944,

a car pulled up at Prinsengracht.

Several figures emerged,

armed, and dressed in civilian clothes.

The eight residents of the Annexe

were taken to prison,

and from there, transported to Westerbork,

and onwards to the concentration camps.

(information from contemporary reports)

The atmosphere is stifling,

outside you don’t hear a single bird.

A deathly silence hangs in the air.

It clings to me as if it were going to drag me

into the deepest regions of the underworld.

(29 October 1943) 4

There is no speech or language

where their voice is not heard.

Their sound is gone out

through all the earth,

and their words to the end of the world.

(Psalm xix, verses 3-4)

Their blood have they shed like water,

and there was none who could bury them.

(Psalm lxxix, verse 3)

The young and the old lie on the ground;

the maids and young men are fallen.

(Lamentations ii, verse 21)

4. Some aspects of life in hiding were similar to life in the concentration camps. Anne did not continue her diary after she left the annexe, but this extract, written about the annexe, echoes the atmosphere described by others of the Nazi concentration camps.

14. Anne’s mediation

I see the world being slowly

turned into wilderness.

I hear the approaching thunder,

that one day will destroy us too.

And yet, when I look at the sky,

I feel that everything will change for the better.

(15 July 1944)

Whenever you feel lonely or sad,

try going to the loft

on a beautiful day and looking

at the sky.

As long as you can look

fearlessly at the sky,

you’ll know you’re pure within.

(23 February 1944)

In its orchestral form, three of the fourteen movements were first performed in Westminster Hall London, on 27th January 2005 within the National Holocaust Commemoration. The excerpts from Annelies were introduced by Hanneli Goslar, the childhood friend of Anne Frank referred to in Movement 9.

The first performance of the complete work took place on 5th April 2005, with Louise Kateck (soprano), the Choir of Clare College Cambridge and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin. The performance was introduced by Anne Frank’s cousin, Mr Bernd (Buddy) Elias.

Commissioned by the Mostar Cooperative with support from the Jewish Music Institute.

What to Expect at a Larimer Chorale Concert

Is this your first concert or have you attended Larimer Chorale concerts on a regular basis? We provide these Frequently Asked Questions to help make you entire concert experience more gratifying and pleasant.

Will I understand and like the music?

Yes! You might be surprised to hear snippets of classical music that you recognize -- many “tunes” have been used in movie scores or in commercials that sell everything from razors to cars to your favorite beer! Sit back and enjoy the music. It might evoke memories or cause you to feel happy or sad. Listen for the music to repeat patterns or for the singers to echo each other. Watch the conductor. Watch the singers watching the conductor! See how they respond to his baton. Pick out how all the parts (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass) interact with each other and with the orchestra and soloists.

Do I need to prepare before the concert?

No. You can come and listen to the music for the first time. If you want to prepare, read the program notes on our website, look for recordings of the pieces featured in the concert, or come to one of the open rehearsals. For most concerts, our conductor gives a talk 45 minutes before the concert starts so come listen to that; or come early enough to read the notes in the program.

What should I wear?

Most of our concert-goers dress casually or in business or business-casual attire.

Are there any no-nos?

Yes-yes! Please go easy on wearing scented products. Many singers are particularly sensitive to perfumes – those seated near you may also have allergies.

Keep your colds and coughs at home – or ask the usher to seat you in an unoccupied area of the performance hall.

Don’t be late! It’s fun to come 20-30 minutes early, find your seat, and get comfortable. Talk to your neighbors, look at the venue, read the program, or listen to the warm-ups. Latecomers will be asked to wait in the lobby until there is a break in the program. Then you’ll get to be THAT person – the one who has to climb over everyone in a dark theater. If you have to leave a concert early, please do so between program sections if possible.

Can I go beep, Tweet, or crinkle in the night?

You can but you shouldn’t! If it has a battery, turn it off or set it on vibrate. Remember to check your watches, pagers, and cell phones before the program begins. If you are an on-call emergency worker, set your phone to silently vibrate and then quietly exit to the lobby to take the call. Please do not distract those seated around you by texting or Tweeting. Unwrap candy or anything else encased in noisy cellophane prior to the concert.

Will I be able to take pictures or record the concert?

No. Taking pictures or making audio or video recordings of the concert are violations of copyright and distracting to other concert-goers. Only professionals with prior permission from the Larimer Chorale are allowed to record concerts.

How long will I have to sit there?

We hope that you won’t notice the passage of time! But, for planning purposes, figure on 90 minutes to two hours. Some programs are shorter and may not have an intermission – longer programs will have a break. Remember the chorale members are standing so they want a break too! Intermissions are usually about 15 minutes long.

May I applaud whenever the spirit moves me?

Technically, yes, but most people don’t want to be the one person clapping. It is traditional to show your appreciation to the conductor, concertmaster, and soloists as they come on stage. Then, so that the music can proceed in the way written by the composer and interpreted by the conductor, hold your applause until the end of the entire piece. Some works are divided into movements so follow along in the program – there will be a pause between movements but try not to interrupt the flow of the music by clapping during these brief breaks. Still confused? Watch the conductor. He will keep his arms raised between movements and will have the full attention of all the musicians. Your cue to applaud like crazy is when the conductor completely relaxes his arms.

What happens after the concert?

Chorale members love to meet their audience. Just go to the lobby and the conductor and chorale members will be there to chat with you and answer your questions. Linger, socialize, and talk to others about the experience.

Are the concerts kid-oriented?

Our concerts are not programmed to appeal specifically to small children but they are welcome to attend. Children under 8 can receive a complimentary ticket and sit with adults who supervise them throughout the performance. On rare occasions, if a piece is more for adult ears or has particularly emotional or evocative movements, the chorale will make sure this information is on its website and shared with the ticket agents.

Why do you keep changing venues?

There are many reasons for not using a single venue. There is considerable competition for appropriate concert space and we may not be able to get the space we want on the days we want. For some concerts we may need an organ or the ability to project slides or a movie. We may want an informal venue that encourages interaction among the guests. Perhaps for a chamber concert or an a cappella concert we’ll need a smaller hall or a certain acoustic or different lighting. It’s not always easy to secure the best possible venue for each of our concerts but we make every possible effort to find suitable space for members of both the chorale and the audience.

Do the venues accommodate disabled patrons?

Yes. Handicapped parking and wheel-chair accessible seating are available at all venues. Devices to assist the hearing-impaired are available at most venues. If you have a special need, please contact us well before the concert so that we can do our best to accommodate you. Call 970-236-6410.