Martin van Bleek, honoured
Each year many unsuspecting Nederlanders find themselves invited to their town hall to be granted a national honour in the “Lintjesregen” in honour of the King’s birthday.
Amid great secrecy, this year, on April 25th, our Organist and Director of Music, Martin van Bleek, ended up being one of them. At the 2025 ceremony, for his many achievements in his professional and voluntary roles over more than fifty years, Martin was awarded Ridder van de Orde van Oranje by the Mayor of Haarlem, Jos Wienen, in the Gravenzaal at Haarlem’s Stadhuis.
Ridder – knight – Order of Oranje Nassau – learn more about it here
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On the Second Sunday of Easter our children’s church take the opportunity to look back over the Easter story. After all, its one of the most important stories our children will ever hear… From Palm Sunday to Easter Day, we will make an Easter Story box to remember the key moments of this important time. With crafts and games we will retell the story.. Then everyone can take a story box home – and tell it again and again.
The renown Salisbury Cathedral Choir will be singing at the Grote of St.-Bavokerk in Haarlem on 6th April at 5pm. They will be singing in a traditional Choral Evensong with David Halls as the Director of Music and John Challenger as Organist. All welcome.
For more information about Salisbury Choir and Salisbury Cathedral visit their website:
Many regulars and visitors alike joined together for our Easter Sunday service. It was a joyful service with Bruce reminding us of. the traditional Easter Day greeting :
Christ is Risen! To which we, of course, replied “He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!”
The choir opened the service with an Easter Sentence and the musical worship continued with hymn singing, a sung psalm and several Choral Works.
The traditional Easter Candle was lit, symbolising Jesus, the Light of the World.
One of our younger members had made a tomb and the stone was rolled away, just as it was by the Angels when the two Marys came to look for Jesus’ body. This was a lovely moment, as was the blessing of the eggs which were handed out at the end by the younger members of the congregation.
Happy Easter to All!
Christ is Risen! “He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!”
We celebrated Christmas with a Eucharist and a traditional service of 9 Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve. We return on Sunday 7th January for our Choral Eucharist at 2.30pm. In the meantime we wish you all a very Happy Christmas and look forward to welcoming you back in the New Year.
A church jam packed… people from far and wide… certainly Martin, Organist and Director of Music, knew that something was up when he spotted colleagues from Arnhem, clergy and friends from the UK, other friends and family seated in the pews. It was Harvest, a service which attracts a wide range of congregation, but this many? Of course, there was an excellent reason for it – we had all come to celebrate an amazing achievement – Martin van Bleek, Organist at the Anglican Church Haarlem for fifty years!
It was some feat to keep the special service a secret and perhaps there were some small clues but essentially Martin was surprised and delighted when, half way through the Harvest Service, he discovered this service was also a celebration of his musical contribution to the church.
When asked to speak, he reminisced about being a teenager in need of ‘engagement’ and, as he had a keen interest in the piano and organ, his mother suggested he sit by the Organist and learn a little. The rest is history – he has played ever since! Luckily for us!
It was a wonderful moment when a fellow Organist stepped forward and the choir sung the anthem, Christ whose Glory fills the Skies by Harold Darke. Martin conducted and it was a fitting moment as the glorious notes and harmonies filled the church.
Glasses of bubbly were handed out after the service for speeches and presentations. It was a wonderful afternoon – a very happy Harvest and a magnificent celebration of a man whose musical contribution has amounted to so much.
Cheers to you, Martin!
We celebrated our Harvest Festival in a joint service with our host church, the Old Catholic Congregation.
It was a joy to have Revd Robert Frede join Revd. Bruce to help lead the service.
It was an important moment to reflect on our world, on the gifts we receive and on the significant role we play as custodians. The various harvests we enjoy were blessed (the corn, the seeds, the fruit, the flowers etc). The seven crates of donations were also blessed in preparation for their journey to Stem in de Stad where we hope they will make a difference to someone in need. Our traditional Tea took place afterwards with a great sense of fellowship and community.
We are really excited to be welcoming Revd. Mpho Tutu this Sunday 4th June as our Guest Preacher. She will give the sermon in our Eucharist service which starts at 14.30. This is a Choral Service so our choir will also be there, leading a sung service with hymns, a sung psalm and an anthem sung by the choir.
We really hope to see you there!
It was always going to be a special service – our Trinity service and also our chance to celebrate (finally) the appointment of Bruce, thank everyone for their wonderful support over the last few years and bring our church community together (hooray, we are able, once again, to socialise!) The Festal Choral Evensong was a beautiful service – the canticles (Grayston Ives) were glorious and the anthem (As Truly as God is our Father, Matthias ) powerful and mysterious. After the final responses and prayers we moved on for celebratory drinks and presentations.
It was such a joy to hear the choir sing and the organ play in such a magnificent setting. On Pentecost, the first Vespers of the Bavo summer season was opened with our choir and the Anglican Singers singing in a traditional Evensong and it didn’t disappoint.
The chords and melodies soared through the beautiful Grote of St Bavo Kerk, canticles resonating and responses echoing in the high rafters.
The Choir and Bruce just before the service started.
The high rafters