Kerstsamenzang Zaanenpark 2012 Haarlem Netherlands choir Harlem Nocturne - Community singing Carols

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OF YOU!! Community singing on Christmas-eve 2012 in Europe - The Netherlands - Haarlem, in the 'Zaanenpark'. Choir 'Harlem Nocturne' with director Geert Bremen.
Dutch language:
Samenzang op kerstavond 24 - 12 - 2012 in het Zaanenpark, Haarlem. Koor 'Harlem Nocturne' o.l.v. dirigent Geert Bremen.

Haarlem - formerly referred to as Harlem in the English language - is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic. Haarlem lies in the northern part of the Randstad, one of the largest metropolitan areas in Europe. By the end of 2011 Haarlem had a total population of 151,853. The municipality of Haarlem also comprises part of the village of Spaarndam, a newer housing estate of this village forms part of the neighboring municipality of Haarlemmerliede en Spaarnwoude. The city is located on the river Spaarne, about 20 km west of Amsterdam and near the coastal dunes. The town of Haarlem is older than Amsterdam, established in 1245 on the river Spaarne. It has beautiful medieval and Gothic buildings and a lovely, almost traffic free center to wander around. The Grote Markt is the huge market square in the center of town, surrounded by important civic buildings including the Town Hall and the nineteenth century Sint-Bavo Cathedral, the main Catholic church for the Haarlem-Amsterdam area. Haarlem boasts the oldest museum in the Netherlands, Teylers Museum, which has an eclectic collection including fossils, medals, and scientific instruments, as well as important Old Masters' prints and drawings including works by Michelangelo and Rembrandt. Another feature of Haarlem is the almshouses (hofjes). These were privately built houses centred around courtyards for elderly women to live for free - they were a sort of pension scheme, often established by wealthy patrons so their name would live on in charity. Nineteen still exist and are still occupied mainly by elderly women. Haarlem was a very important home to painters during the Dutch Golden Age and the Frans Hals Museum includes works by important artists, as well as relics of the history of Haarlem itself: clocks, furniture, religious pieces seized during the Reformation. Haarlem has the reputation for being the best city for shopping in the Netherlands.It has been the historical center of the tulip bulb-growing district for centuries and bears the nickname 'Bloemenstad' (flower city), for this reason.