AND THE MUSIC ENDS
by Henk Seijkens of the K.S.H. Phileutonia

It is Monday, July 15 about dinner time--6 PM. As usual the news is on TV. They show a crashed plane at the Eindhoven Airport. The reporter talks about a military plane that came in from Modena, Italy. Immediately I know that something is very wrong because I know that on board that plane is almost an entire Military Wind Band. Among the musicians is Adrie de Bode, a percussionist of the Phileutonia Percussion group.

It takes just a few minutes to find out that he is one of the victims.

As the investigations showed afterwards, the plane crash was caused by a lot of birds that flew into the engines. Just one engine was left with which to land. It turned out not to be enough for such a huge plane to land in a safe way. Of course we follow the rescue on TV. It is hard to realize that you cannot do anything to save those people inside. As we learned, the rescue team didn’t know at all that there were passengers aboard.

As a result of that lack of knowledge there was not enough equipment to save everyone. The rescue time took too long.

It is very difficult to realize that one of our members will not return. Of course our thoughts are with his girlfriend and his parents. Of course we think of all the people who were aboard. Just to know that a person you know so well is aboard that demolished plane makes you sick.

We have to live with memories because there is nothing else left. On Friday July 19 we buried him with musical honor.

We will always remember him.

ADRIE DE BODE

As a young boy Adrie joined the Phileutonia percussion group. During recent years he began to specialize in various instruments. He bought a steel drum and introduced this instrument to our band. He loved this particular instrument and taught himself how to play it.

Although he was educated to be a hairdresser, Adrie found that music played a more important part in his life. In October 1995 he applied for a place in a Military Band. He was hired for a 2½ year period and was very happy with his new job. Adrie was not a member of this particular military band. He was hired to join the group on the concert tour to Italy. He had made plans already for the period after his military contract. He was going to start to study industrial design, hoping he could find a job in this business.

Together with all the members of the Phileutonia Percussion Band, Adrie became a Dutch champion of the highest level in Percussion in 1992. As we are, he was very proud to be a Dutch champion. The only thing there is left is the memory of a very special person. He was always there to help other people--especially in music.

We will remember him that way always.

Adrie, rest in peace.

The Columbia Concert Band extends its deepest sympathies to the families of Adrie de Bode and the other musicans who perished in this tragedy.

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