Chr. Gemengd koor ‘Omnia Cum Deo’
More than 2.210 times played this month
Our choir has been around for 97 years!
You don't read that every day. What is so special about that choir, you might wonder.
It was founded on March 9, 1922 by a few enthusiastic young people, including teacher J.S.W. de Jong. He was not only conductor but also became chairman. The first song that was rehearsed was "God is Liefde" and that is also the basis of our togetherness. A general Christian Mixed Choir! It soon had more than 60 members.
Then the war broke out in May 1940. In order to escape the "Kulturkammer" the choir continued as a "church choir". Church choirs were exempt, provided they met certain requirements, including only performing in church services.
When the curfew was set at 8:00 PM after "Mad Tuesday" September 5, 1944, rehearsals were over. On May 14, 1945, nine days after the liberation, we came together again.
Over the years, the choir has had its “ups and downs”. There was a period when there were only 20 members, including 4 or 5 gentlemen. If one of the gentlemen threatened to leave, he was “processed” on all sides to stay.
In the period from 1943 to 1972, Omnia Cum Deo was led by the following conductors:
1943 Mr. A.P. Sintnicolaas from Bolnes; 1952 Mr. L.P.A. Pors from Strijen (around 1961 the choir consisted of 26 members); 1966 Mr. J. Stolk from Groot-Ammers; 1970 Mr. C. de Haan (two months); 1971 Mr. J. Stolk from Groot-Ammers (back until April); 1971 Mr. F. van Tilburg (left for health reasons); until the end of 1971 Mr. Geuzenbroek from Gorinchem.
From 1972 onwards, Jan Stolk was our conductor (third time lucky for a period of 28 years). Under his leadership, we made several concert trips, including to Scarborough in England and to Maastricht where we enhanced the Sunday morning service in the Sint-Janskerk.
We also participated in TV recordings for the program “U ZIJ DE GLORIE” under the direction of Jan Stolk.
For about 10 years, together with the Credo Singers from Rotterdam, we provided the annual Christmas concerts in the Doelen in Rotterdam.
During the period that Jan Stolk was conductor, the choir grew to 130 members, this was around 1980.
From 2000 to 2007, Jelte Veenhoven was our conductor and under his leadership, we made a choir trip to Poland in 2006 in connection with an exchange with the choir “Sursum Corda” from Ledziny.
After that, Dirk Zwart from Rotterdam was our conductor for a year and a half.
Gerard van der Zijden from Rotterdam has been our conductor since January 2009 and under his leadership we made a choir trip to Germany in 2010, where we sang in Leipzig and Dresden, among other places. Recently in 2013 we made a choir trip to France. There we sang in Pontlevoy and Tours.
Every year Omnia Cum Deo organizes the familiar Christmas Carols evening and a Passion concert on Holy Saturday in one of the churches in Nieuw-Lekkerland.
We regularly participate in Encounter Concerts with other choirs from the region.
Our travel committee almost traditionally organizes a choir trip on Open Monument Day, the second Saturday in September, to sing for an unexpected audience in one of the beautiful churches that our country has to offer.
