Harmony Glen are: Vincent Pompe van Meerdervoort, Sjoerd van Ravenzwaaij, Nienke Bijker, Dominique Bentvelsen. Harmony Glen -- Dutch Courage, Irish Music

Harmony Glen's History

Having played with quite a few traditional music groups on the Dutch folk scene, Sjoerd van Ravenzwaaij, Vincent Pompe van Meerdervoort and Douwe Meijer decided it was time to start a group that would sound different, so in the beginning of 2005 Harmony Glen was founded.
The first band photo, with Douwe as one of the founders of Harmony Glen

Picture taken by Timer Function
With Douwe
In the beginning the idea was to start a traditional Irish chamber orchestra which would play traditional music in an easy, laid- back way, making it fit for easy listening, dinner and party background music.

But things turned out very differently...

When Nienke Bijker and Dominique Bentvelsen joined the band, the group soon found it was quite impossible to them to play Irish music without the liveliness, tenderness, haunting energy and special feeling that was to become so characteristic to the sound of the band. Douwe decided to leave the group, but with Miriam Kavana as band coach and regular guest musician the Harmony Glen sound soon became even more energetic, catchy and haunting. When not much later Mike Bruinsma joined the group as 'Fifth Man' or parttime bandmember, new 'texas' and jazzy flavours were added to the sound.

Harmony Glen just after Dominique joined.

Picture taken by Timer Function
Harmony Glen 2
Harmony Glen released their debut album "Before Dawn" which recieved much acclaim internationally. They started touring in England and Ireland with much success and soon the idea of making a new album started to grow. In september 2007 Harmony Glen released their second album "Streaming Tunes" which is - according to critics- even more promising than "Before Dawn".  The Cajun and Jazzy sounds are becoming more prominent still and even a hint of Klezmer shines through now and then.
Harmony Glen after Mike joined and Douwe left.

Picture ©2007 by Valerie Delvoie
Harmony Glen with Mike

Since the release of "Streaming Tunes"  a lot changed in the group, Miriam Kavana handed the bandcoaching role to He Who Must Not Be Named, Mike decided to concentrate on finishing his study first and parted with the group. Driven by  nothing but passion for their music the four core members of the group now continue to (ad)venture into the  vastness of the musical world of Harmony Glen...

This is Harmony Glen today. This picture was taken by Lars van der Ploeg during our 2007 tour in Sweden
Harmony Glen Now

Since the musicians in the group have musical backgrounds varying from classical music to old style Jazz and Dixieland, Harmony Glen’s fresh and unique interpretation of traditional and contemporary Irish music touches the heart and soul of anyone.