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View Full Version : "Il Silenzio" ( The Silence)



platoonDaddy
03-12-14, 17:33
RIP and thank you soldiers of Operation Market Garden!

About six miles from Maastricht, in the Netherlands lie buried 8,301 American soldiers who died in "Operation Market Garden" in the battles to liberate Holland in the fall and winter of 1944-5. Everyone of the men buried in the cemetery, as well as those in the Canadian and British military cemeteries has been adopted by a Dutch family who mind the grave, decorate, and keep alive the memory of the soldier they have adopted. It is even the custom to keep a portrait of "their" American soldier in a place of honor in their home.

Annually on "Liberation Day" Memorial Services are held for "the men who died to liberate Holland." The day concludes with a concert. The final piece is always "Il Silenzio", a memorial piece commissioned by the Dutch and first played in 1965 on the 20th anniversary of Holland's liberation. It has been the concluding piece of the memorial concert ever since.

This year the soloist was a 13 year old Dutch girl, Melissa Venema, backed by André Rieu and his orchestra(the Royal Orchestra of the Netherlands). This beautiful concert piece is based upon the original version of taps and was composed by Italian composer Nino Rossi. It is both beautiful & moving. You have never heard taps played like this before!

http://www.flixxy.com/trumpet-solo-melissa-venema.htm

3 AE
03-14-14, 03:29
That was just wonderful. Such a beautiful rendition to honor the fallen. Came across this and IIRC, I posted this last year, but it's worth seeing again. Such a fitting tribute to those brave Canadians who paid the ultimate price so that others may live. It brings me to tears seeing that the Dutch still honor the Liberators of their country almost seventy years later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQr9Z8Dnxyo

platoonDaddy
03-14-14, 07:00
That was just wonderful. Such a beautiful rendition to honor the fallen. Came across this and IIRC, I posted this last year, but it's worth seeing again. Such a fitting tribute to those brave Canadians who paid the ultimate price so that others may live. It brings me to tears seeing that the Dutch still honor the Liberators of their country almost seventy years later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQr9Z8Dnxyo

One of the comments from the link you provided, for sure very touching:
I am from Ontario, Canada. My Uncle Norman Sullivan is buried in Holten. His whole tank crew were killed April 28th, 1945, just 9 days before the war ended. Seeing this brings tears to my eyes and warms my heart so. I wish his brother, my father, could have seen this before he passed. Some of his very last memories were of Norman. I cannot thank the people of Holten enough for this continued tribute. A million thanks. 

Bolt_Overide
03-14-14, 08:19
My grandfather fought in that battle, he was one of the lucky ones that survived.

SteyrAUG
03-14-14, 12:30
I'm impressed beyond words.

Pork Chop
03-14-14, 12:47
I read an interview of some of the easy co survivors (band of brothers) somewhere and they mentioned that when they returned to Holland they were treated like absolute royalty.

Nice to see people who understand gratitude and pass it along to the next generation.

Very touching.

SeriousStudent
03-14-14, 20:14
I read an interview of some of the easy co survivors (band of brothers) somewhere and they mentioned that when they returned to Holland they were treated like absolute royalty.

Nice to see people who understand gratitude and pass it along to the next generation.

Very touching.

My sister and brother in law worked in Holland for a few years, back in the early nineties. They said it was not uncommon at all for older Dutch people to shake their hands, upon hearing American English being spoken.

"Please tell the paratroopers thank you!" was what they heard the most. Neither of them really knew about the contribution of the Airborne troopers to the liberation of Holland. But they did start reading about it, and then visited the actual sites themselves.

Campbell
03-15-14, 08:06
Thanks for that....simply awesome. A country thankful for past sacrifice, imagine that.

duece71
03-15-14, 20:29
A piece to last through the ages, incredible. Thank you for posting.

Moose-Knuckle
03-15-14, 20:41
Very moving, it always warms my heart to hear stories like this.