Hi,
I’d like to nominate Edith van den Heuvel as an Everyday Heroine. She is a wonderful professional jazz singer and the founder/leader of Luxembourg Jazz Voices.
Edith is a very humble woman, who when invited to establish a jazz choir, jumped into the challenge with both feet. In less than two years, she has trained nearly thirty singers to reach out of their comfort zones to perform jazz with Luxembourg’s Big Bands and this January the group was featured at the A CAPE’lla Festival in Mersch.
I bring Edith to your attention because she is a very inspirational person at a time we need it most. Instead of hanging the closed sign on the door and letting the room go dark, Edith is arranging on-line meetings with sections of the choir to work on new pieces we will be singing when life is more ‘normal’. Last night an on-line rehearsal was held with dancing and improvisation for as many members as were able to sign in. Having a place to continue singing together is a life-line for those of us who are living more solitary lives than some others.
As a native New Yorker, with family in the heated epicentre of the US, I have personally found great solace in knowing this group is still meeting. I would not like to speak for anyone else, but I imagine that every member of LJV sees an improvement in their outlook as Edith continues to bring us together with positivity and joy. I suspect this is especially true for our many international members who are facing the stress of expat life, separate from their wider families in Spain, Italy, Brazil, Portugal and so on.
So, here’s a glass raised to toast Edith, who is helping so many of us connect and create!
