Thank you Christopher Ames for sharing this.
Please take a moment to read this introduction and then listen to the beautiful trumpet of a 13 year old young lady who plays with an Angel on her shoulder! About six miles from Maastricht, in the Netherlands, lay buried 8,301 American soldiers who died in "Operation Market Garden" in the battles to liberate Holland in the fall and winter of 1944. Every one of the men buried in the cemetery, as well as those in the British and Canadian military cemeteries, has been adopted by a Dutch family who mind the grave, decorate it, and keep alive the memory of the soldier they have adopted. It is even the custom to keep a portrait of "their" American, British or Canadian soldier in a place of honor in their home. Annually, on "Liberation Day," May 4th, 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.
In 2008, 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.
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