One thousand seats delivered and retrieved at once

The challenge of Angeline, Angela and Alvero

More than a thousand extra seats for the St. Matthew Passion. Delivered in one go and collected in one go. Matching the classical atmosphere of Grote Kerk Naarden.

Angela Poelhekke has been working for the Grote Kerk Naarden Foundation for over 10 years. After a life living high in the sky around the world, it's time for something different. She decides to help the beautiful building at the end of the street where she has lived for a long time.

A combination of passion, love and work emerges. Something she still feels to this day as a producer of the many events and activities in and around Grote Kerk Naarden.

Angeline Sandmann shares that sentiment. She, too, beams when she talks about her work for the church. She comes from the corporate world and stepped in during the pandemic. Angeline and her team are responsible for all (income from) events and activities in the building.

"Alvero is proud of our contribution to an unadulterated piece of Dutch cultural heritage"

Immaterial Heritage

All of the Netherlands knows Grote Kerk Naarden because of the performance of the St. Matthew Passion by the Netherlands Bach Society. In 2021 it has even been added to the Inventory of Immaterial Heritage of the Netherlands (IIEN). A recognition of the value the Matthäus tradition has for the Nederlandse Bachvereniging, Grote Kerk Naarden Foundation, the many volunteers involved, the musicians, the visitors, the residents and the entrepreneurs of Naarden-Vesting.

A thousand chairs that guests can easily sit on for three hours

The church seats up to 1,750 visitors. Its classical atmosphere and acclaimed acoustics ensure that the annual performances of the St. Matthew Passion by the Netherlands Bach Society can count on a great deal of interest, including from the media. The linkable Curvy chairs are ideal for an event like this. Alvero is proud that every year we place at least 1,000 extra seats especially for these performances, where guests can enjoy the performances in peace and comfort. A logistical operation through which we make a modest contribution to a wonderful tradition.

Experience the St. Matthew Passion on chairs by Alvero

"The St. Matthew Passion is not the only event for which Alvero provides additional furniture."

One phone call will do

"The St. Matthew Passion is not the only event for which Alvero provides extra furniture," says Angeline. "The Christmas concerts sometimes require at least 200 extra chairs, as well as several times a year a wedding or funeral of very beloved persons." "A phone call suffices then, even if it's last minute!", Angela adds. "They go by the cart of 25, so that's easy math.

The just-joined Alvero driver Danny adds that it's okay to have fewer than 25, too. Angela continues: "As long as we coordinate well in advance whether the extra seats are single or double coupled. Because using them interchangeably gives an asymmetrical picture. Funny in itself, but not at this beautiful location; that would disturb the tight image of a concert setup."

The Grote Kerk in Naarden is special in more ways than one

80 events in The Sistine Chapel of the North

The Great Church in Naarden is a striking building that is special in several ways. The tower dates back to the 14th century and at that time was used as a watchtower to protect the Naarden fortress. In the 15th century, the rest of the church was built on.

There's more to it than that.

The 16th-century paintings on the ceiling make the church a special cultural monument, managed by the Grote Kerk Naarden Foundation. The stately national monument provides space not only for worshippers during church services, but also for culture and music lovers and private gatherings; annually some 80 events with more than 50,000 visitors.

The church is also a popular venue for cultural and musical events.

The performance of the St. Matthew Passion by the Netherlands Bach Society is the best known of these. All net proceeds from events go to the maintenance, preservation and development of this centuries-old monument. A major restoration of the paintings on the barrel vault is planned. The restoration of this 700m2 painted ceiling, which consists of 1,600 planks divided into 22 panels, is a monster job.

"It is a spectacle in which the Old and New Testaments are told opposite each other in corresponding stories," Angeline explains. "In this restoration, the cliché monasticism is in order. If estimates are correct, it will take one month per panel." Even after the restoration, Alvero is happy to remain a partner of Grote Kerk Naarden.

Last minute chairs from Berlin

When Angela was just working there, she lived under the assumption that the order of some 1,000 chairs for Alvero was an automatic order. Until she contacted our colleague Bart de Muijnck in February, who told her that some of the chairs had a destination in Berlin at that time. Bart immediately sought a solution.

"We had to be creative. On the morning of the first performance, some of the chairs still had to come from Berlin. That was the most exciting part," Angela jokes. Since then, we have had a call appointment as early as December and every year there are enough chairs well in time to quietly set up the church with a large group of volunteers. That's the solution that works best.