Half the world has by now been featured in the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble’s new year’s concerts, but a programme of music from the street is definitely a first. In the underground, on squares and in shopping malls, the NBE went in search of unusual talent. Shortly before skating fever briefly gripped the Netherlands, and not a single musician was to be seen busking in the icy streets, the NBE completed its list. In Amsterdam, they found singer and double bass player François, whose usual spot is the Central Station. On the Albert Cuyp market they found Elias, singer and double bass player.

They also heard about Romanian cimbalom player extraordinaire Vasile. Singer Catfish Slim was discovered beside the Dirk van den Broek supermarket in Heineken Square. And the Marinov family from Bulgaria played at the Rotterdam Lijnbaan.

“Make music that will stop people in their tracks” was the assignment in this year’s contest for very

young composers. Children under sixteen years of age were asked to send in their own street music. Kalle de Bie (8) from Utrecht, Nadine voor den Dag (14) from Purmerend, Peter Vigh (15) from Oisterwijk and Annelieke Holland (10) from IJsselstein were selected to tell the NBE how they would like to see their music performed.