The cancellation of King’s Day this year came as a disappointment to everyone, though it is completely understandable in the current situation. Luckily, the Concertgebouw Orchestra has a plan to raise everyone’s spirits: uncoordinated amateur singing at 10am on King’s Day.Â
Nonetheless, we are expecting to see some sort of celebration, although it will be celebrated entirely from home, and is more symbolic than anything else, reports RTL Nieuws.
The Wilhelmus on King’s Day
The Concertgebouw Orchestra has called on social media that people sing the national anthem of the Netherlands, the Wilhelmus, on King’s Day. To achieve this purpose, the musicians of the Orchestra have even shared the different parts of the anthem on their official website.
#Wilhelmus2020 – Speel net als de musici van het #Concertgebouworkest op maandag 27 april om 10:00 uur het Wilhelmus vanaf je balkon, uit het raam of in je tuin!
â–º Meer informatie en bladmuziek: https://t.co/J8veah5Edz#Koningsdag #Koningsdag2020 pic.twitter.com/ullsIcIMff— Concertgebouworkest (@ConcertgbOrkest) April 9, 2020
The hashtag #Wilhelmus2020 can be used by those who want promote this, uh, interesting addition to King’s Day on social media. On King’s Day itself, you can use the hashtag when posting videos of yourself on the balcony demonstrating your love for the Dutch nation (or how badly you can sing, depends). It’s not yet clear how this is going to go over with our sober Dutchies.
Landgenoten, uw Vorst verwacht u op 27 april om 10.00 uur op uw balkon of in uw tuin, om gezamenlijk het #Wilhelmus te zingen, ter ere van Onze verjaardag. U heeft nog ruim de tijd om alle 15 coupletten te leren. Begint u met een couplet per dag. https://t.co/oHuzOAlRSE
— Willem-Alexander (@Koning_NL) April 9, 2020
But according to Willem-Alexander, if you learn a couple of verses each day from now til the 27th April, you should be just about ready to frighten the life out of the pigeons.
This potentially-nationwide croaking will start on King’s Day at 10:00 AM- usually, that’s when musical groups will play the anthem, and it’s the perfect time of day to make loud noise, as well.
Beter laat je mij gewoon slapen en ga je niet staan zingen OM 10 UUR IN DE OCHTENDhttps://t.co/PD1VZXOyRf
— QuaranTinie (@schildpadkat) April 10, 2020
Some Dutchies have expressed mild concern that this 10am singing requirement might be a little early for those of us who have a low tolerance for bullshit in the mornings.
Ah, ophef over het zingen van het Wilhelmus. Als we ons nu dáár druk over maken, slaan we ons behoorlijk goed door de crisis heen.
— Nicolien Badura (@nicolienbadura) April 9, 2020
Others were glad to see that Dutchies have built up mental resilience and strength over the last three weeks of coronavirus crisis, and are not even slight fazed by this new addition to a treasured celebration of an inherently flawed institution.
Zangers van het Wilhelmus moeten vooral hun gang gaan maar ik zet wel een fijn album, best hard, op om die ellende niet te hoeven horen. Als waardering voor degenen die het verdienen.
— Peter Baak (@peerwereld) April 9, 2020
Peter here is planning on accompanying the Wilhelmus singers with a selection of his own favourite songs, none of which are the Wilhelmus, blasting from his speakers.
We kunnen deze crisis ook aangrijpen om het zelfs voor de 17e eeuw omstreden Wilhelmus te vervangen door een volkslied dat wel de ziel van dit land weergeeft.
— Erdal Balci (@ErdalBalci9) April 9, 2020
On a more serious and practical note, maybe this crisis is the perfect time to introduce a new, non-17th century anthem, which actually reflects the Netherlands today?
If you’d like to know more about the Wilhelmus and its origin as the national anthem of the Netherlands, give our article a check.
Will you be out on your balcony singing the national anthem on King’s Day? Let us know in the comments!
Feature Image: hanspetersmits/Pixabay