Over de Bogen

Over de Bogen, O. Festival for Opera.Music.Theatre, Netherlands

17 May - 26 May 2024

This walkscape in the Walk With Me series combines a pre-composed soundwalk with live performance by vocalists. A commission by the O. Festival for Opera. Music. Theatre. and Rotterdam NL Rooftop Days.

"This creates a beautiful mosaic of experiences, a glimpse into lives and neighborhoods. Location-based theater can offer a new perspective on the environment, and that's exactly what Over de Bogen does brilliantly."

newspaper NRC review **** 4 stars

performers

Madeline Saputra soprano
Els Mondelaers mezzo soprano
Helianthe Redan singer, solist
Arturo den Hartog (NL) countertenor
Michaela Riener soprano
Anissa Rouas singer, performer
Linde Schinkel soprano
Mijke Sekhuis (NL) soprano

Following the old track along the former tram line Hofbogen, 5 meters above the ground, the audience encountered vocalists that improvised to the soundtrack. This leads to a surprising and intriguing experience as two realities blend with each other: the pre-composed intimate music on headphones combined with live voices singing acoustically in the real world.

The singers performed the whole day through in this performative installation.

 

excerpt recorded lyrics:

text pt I

Thanks.
That you carry me, I mean.
Keep me with you, if you want – Maybe sometimes I am so close that we become one, but let me not get ahead of myself.

text pt II
How beautiful to go over this again.
From one side to the other.
From inside to outside.
From point A to the sea.

text pt III
What did your parents sing to you?
My parents didn’t sing. They didn’t have time for that.
They thundered through their lives.
I suspect that is why I became a train driver.

text pt IV
I was the last one.
The people on the side waved at the procession of wagons.
The finale of the Hofbogen.
At least, that’s what I thought.

(translation from Dutch)

These stories highlight not only the rich past of the train connection, but also what this object means for the neighborhood now and the expectations surrounding the realization of the future Dakpark Hofbogen.

We collaborated with artist Merel Smitt (NL), herself a resident of one of the neighborhoods surrounding the line, who recorded stories of residents and those involved in the future transformation of this area. With writer Corinne Heyrman (BE) and voice actor Joep van der Geest (NL) we recorded & composed a poetic narrative site-specifically mapped to this ‘high-line’.