The Stabat Mater foundation was established in 1998 by a number of music lovers. They aimed to bring a weekend of Stabat Mater concerts each year two weeks before Easter, the beginning of Passiontide. There were performances from various composers in an Eastertide setting. The concerts have always been of high quality:  impressive, surprising and moving.

In twenty years Stabat Maters by 37 different composers were performed,  with compositions ranging from 15th and 16th century works by Josquin Desprez and Giovanni Pierluigi Palestrina to very modern works by composers such as Hawar Tawfiq (2013) and James MacMillan (2016).

The Iraqi composer Hawar Tafique was commissioned to compose a Stabat Mater to celebrate the Foundation’s  15th  anniversary.  Daan Manneke composed the Stabat Mater for the Foundation’s 10th anniversary in 2013.

As all performances were recorded on CD, we were able to add new composers to our collection. This included not only Manneke and Tafique, but also Wüllner, Fiocco, Dvořák (for piano), Dohnányi and several others.

In 2018 they celebrated their 20th anniversary. Unfortunately this was the final Stabat Mater concert organised by the foundation.  It makes me sad and a bit melancholic. Nevertheless I am grateful for twenty years of Stabat Maters in the St. Petrus Church in Oirschot, which connected the audience with performances that were moving and comforting.

I am certain that the efforts of the Foundation in organising these concerts have contributed to the appreciation and love of the Stabat Mater in the Netherlands. A complete list of the works performed can be found on http://www.stabatmater.nl/uitgevoerde-werken/.