I is for...

Irony

domenicuskerk, amsterdam

Well, colour me gobsmacked.  I have to admit that I wasn't expecting this...  My concerts with the New Mannheim Orchestra in Holland were in churches after all, but in modern ones.  This usually means some strange-shaped, plain-bricked monstrosities with weird-acoustics, and I wasn't let down in my assumption for our first concert near The Hague (a pentagonal strangeosity). But oh!  The church in Amsterdam blew me away.

holy graffiti, batman

Modern (well, neo-Gothic, late 19th century, so yes, modern!) yet architecturally breath-taking!  (Hey, I'm an appreciator of old-fashioned buildings... what can I say?) The Domenicuskerk in Amsterdam was designed by the same man who created some of the most gorgeous train stations in the Netherlands.  And churches, castles and museums.  Okay - that sounds rather bizarre, but really - check them out here.

The colourful nave was painted in the 1920's and is heavily influenced by the art movements of the time - mostly (to my eyes) art deco...  There is colour everywhere!

rainbow saints and angels

modern frescoes aplenty

And the ceiling...  The ceiling...

a thousand gold stars for effort

And I was not let down in the stained-glass department, either...

nom nom nom

A great church, a fabulous band, scrummy music and getting to make music with some old friends.  I'd say this project was full of win!  More please!