Dutch violinist André Rieu and Dame Vera Lynn share their memories of the Second World War ahead of the broadcast of Rieu's veterans concert on Saturday 9 November.
The pair met before the contemporary classical musician's performance, and realised both of their lives were affected by the War, despite the fact Rieu was born shortly after it ended. Speaking to Dame Vera, Rieu explained that his parents-in-law met in Maastricht, Holland, where his wife's mother hid her German Jewish father as part of the Resistance.
"It is incredible the bravery of Marjorie's mother," Rieu explained, "She risked her life for love and to keep all these innocent people from being sent to concentration camps. In September 1944 Maastricht, my home town, become the first Dutch city to be liberated by the Allied forces, so of course the Veterans mean a great deal to my family."
Dame Vera spoke about her journey to Burma, the trip she found the most poignant during wartime. "The soldiers had been out there for five or six years" she said. "They were stationed out there before the war started and of course they hadn't seen an English girl for years and years."
"I only took one dress with me on the trip. I wasn't able to wear it, except on one occasion where I did a concert in a type of shed instead of the jungle floor. It was a great privilege to be out there among them."
"To sing in a jungle with six thousand men and just me was special, can you imagine? Me, just one girl, among all those male faces!"
As Rieu knows, Lynn's music has remained iconic long after the war ended. He told her, "Whenever I play a concert in England, the last piece is always We Will Meet Again. I start all alone with the violin, then all the audience stand-up and sing along, thinking about you."
André Rieu: Welcome to My World – Veterans Concert will broadcast on Saturday 9th October at 8pm on Sky Arts 2 HD
