The youth choir “Dutch Nightingales” consists of boys and girls who travel all over the world singing. The members of the choir come not only from Oosterhout, but from the entire region. Before joining the choir’s concert group, they are trained in the preparatory group by qualified teachers who prepare them for “nightingale life.” Thanks to the steady but continuous flow of newly trained young singers, the choir maintains a consistently high level of quality and enjoys an excellent reputation, not only within the Netherlands but far beyond. The choir’s distinctive sound is largely created by the presence of third altos (boys’ voices during or shortly after the voice change); this gives the many four- and five-part pieces their own charm and character.

Almost every year, the choir goes on tour. They have performed in the United States, Denmark, Norway, the Czech Republic, Poland, Canada, England, Belgium, Spain, South Africa, Austria, Germany, Russia/Siberia, Albania, Ireland, and New Zealand.
The Dutch Nightingales regularly act as “singing ambassadors,” representing regional and (inter)national governments as well as the business community.

The choir is also frequently invited to perform within the Netherlands; they are a reliable partner in musical productions and joint concerts.

During their time with the Nightingales, choir members receive not only solid musical training. They also gain a wealth of experience in social development and in learning to function independently. And of course, during tours they are given ample opportunity to explore and engage with the culture of each country they visit.

The many tours around the world often create unforgettable memories: singing for—and even with—the President of Poland, Lech Wałęsa; rafting on the Ottawa River in Canada; visiting Nelson Mandela’s former prison cell on Robben Island in South Africa; performing with accompaniment by Louis van Dijk, Henk van Twillert, or Jan Vayne; singing in a hospice or for and with children with Down syndrome; witnessing Auschwitz with their own eyes; traveling more than 18 hours on the famous Trans-Siberian Express; staying with the Māori in New Zealand; celebrating with former skating champion Kees Verkerk in Norway; taking a tour through Dublin in an amphibious vehicle; performing regularly for foreign radio and television; visiting townships in South Africa; drifting for several days on a raft down the Mana River through a remote no-man’s-land in Siberia; singing for the Dutch ambassador in Albania; sailing among hundreds of wild dolphins in New Zealand; and so on.

For quite a number of former members, their time with the Nightingales has proven to be an excellent stepping stone toward an active musical career—whether professional or not.

The musical direction is in the hands of conductor and director Wim Schoones. He joined the Nightingales in 1968 as a young singer and never really left. After completing the Pedagogical Academy, he continued his studies at the Rotterdam Conservatory. At the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, he completed a specialization year focused on conducting children’s and youth choirs. For many years, he assisted his father, Tiny Schoones—who led the choir for more than 35 years—as second conductor and répétiteur, and he was also responsible for training the young Nightingales. In 2010, Tiny officially handed over his duties to his son. In addition to his work with the Nightingales, Wim is active as a music teacher, accompanies and conducts other choirs, and forms, together with his three brothers, the a cappella vocal group Brunchtime 85. With the Dutch Nightingales, he has now completed around 60 tours.

The choir Dutch Nightingales operates as a foundation. The board of the ‘Stichting Zangschool Oosterhoutse Nachtegalen’ typically includes, in addition to a representative of the parents, an adult Nightingale from the concert group.

In 1939, the choir the Dutch Nightingales was founded by rector‑cantor P. Fick, who, as a clergyman, not only had “his” nightingales sing to the glory of God, but also turned them into a traveling choir. The Nightingales began as a boys’ choir; from the early 1970s onward, rector Fick also admitted girls. After his passing in 1975, Tiny Schoones took over the musical leadership of the choir. Under his direction, the choir made its first concert tour to Canada in 1977—many more would follow.

The Nightingales have their own choir school. Here young singers are trained in vocal and auditory skills before being enrolled in the concert class. They start out as ‘sparrows’, proceed as ‘titmouses’ and conclude their preparatory training as ‘finches’. After one or two years they enter the part rehearsals. The training class rehearses once a week. The concert choir rehearses twice a week.

The Nightingales’ extensive repertoire includes both sacred and secular music. It ranges from motets, chorals and spirituals to songs from musicals, pop songs and songs that were taken home from other countries. It is a good custom to add local music from visited countries to the repertoire. The choir performs in more than fifteen different languages.