(NETHERLANDS) Robert Maitland is a published songwriter and composer from Scotland who is currently studying his masters in songwriting at University of West of Scotland.
Through his connection with the charity ARCH he was approached by its patron, Baroness Caroline Sweerts, to write a fund raising campaign song for the Dutch Women’s Lacrosse team.
Fascinated by the the war time connection between Holland and Canada and the ongoing friendship between them displayed with the annual gift of tulips, Maitland crafted the song below:
Holland to Canada
The song has two meanings:
- To acknowledge the bond between the two countries, symbolized by the Dutch gift of Tulips every year to Canada.
Almost seventy years ago, 7,500 young Canadians — with the average age of today’s Lacrosse player — gave their lives during the Second World War to liberate Holland. In those dark years, Canada became the home to the Dutch Royal Family and after the war welcomed hundreds of thousands of Dutch people who now form the over one million strong and vibrant Dutch Canadian community. Those events served to create a friendship between the two countries that has lasted until this very day. Many Dutch continue to have active relationships with family in Canada (including members of the current World Cup team). - The song also refers to the Dutch Women’s team as being “the tulips” on their way to Canada to take part in the World Cup in Oshawa, Canada July 10-20, 2013.
Related Links
Make a donation at indiegogo.com: Donate to the Dutch Women’s Lacrosse Team
Donate by buying the song: Buy Holland to Canada
Video on YouTube: Holland to Canada
Video on Vimeo: Holland to Canada
Dutch National Teams Website: dutchnationalteam.nl
Netherlands Lacrosse Website: nederlandlacrosse.nl
Robert Maitland
Robert Maitland
Robert Maitland is a singer/songwriter and composer, writing in many styles.
His current project is a new musical Taking Care of Business, or TCB for short. Taking Care of Business is set in Edinburgh, in the year 1947. The music and drama all take place in a jazz club called “TCB’s.”
Born in Scotland to an Italian mother and Scottish father, he has successfully led his own band for many years, and it was a natural progression to start writing about the many characters he met and the stories he heard.
