“This music needs space”
When Kaaskop performs at the Sint Jacobskerk in Vlissingen on Thursday, September 10, 2026, everything that characterizes this trio comes together: focus, space, recognition, and musical freedom. The monumental church building forms a natural soundscape for the program with which Lucas van Merwijk, Ed Verhoeff en Boudewijn Lucas Re-examine Dutch music culture.
Why Dutch music as a starting point?
Van Merwijk: “Because we grew up with it. There are melodies within it that everyone knows, but that are rarely truly listened to. We don't want to lock that music down, but rather open it up.”Lucas: “If you keep the core and let go of the rest, freedom arises. Then a song can breathe again.”
From Zeeland to China — and back again
Kaaskop's program traveled far last season. During a wonderful concert tour, culminating in a three-week tour of China, the trio played for audiences who didn't know the Dutch songs.
Verhoeff: “That was fascinating. People didn't recognize the melodies, but they reacted directly to the emotion. That says a lot about the power of this music.”Van Merwijk: “The experience has deepened our game. We've come to rely even more on space, timing, and silence.”
The power of St. James' Church, what makes this location so suitable for Kaaskop?
Van Merwijk: “A church forces you to listen. You can't hide anything here. Every nuance counts.”Lucas: “The sound carries by itself. That fits our program, which balances between lyrical, subdued, and playful.”
The Zeeland context—the openness, the light, the proximity to the sea—enhances that experience. The music takes on a contemplative character without becoming heavy.
What can the audience expect?
The concert moves between intimacy and freedom. Familiar melodies appear, disappear, and take on a different color. Sometimes swinging, sometimes hushed, always played with attention.Verhoeff: “It's not nostalgia. It's rediscovery.”Van Merwijk: “And above all: music you can sit down and listen to peacefully.”
An invitation to Vlissingen
The performance in St. James' Church promises to be a special evening: accessible to a broad audience, but with depth for the listener who wants to be swept away.
On September 10, 2026, Kaaskop will showcase how Dutch musical heritage can sound when given space — within ancient walls, carried by silence, sound, and attention.
This concert is part of a series of Summer Evening Concerts by Cultuurpodium Sint-Jacobskerk.
