I love this story about Aafje Heynis:
~ When the Netherlands were liberated in May of 1945, there were celebrations in the streets of every town.
A man hit on the idea of wheeling his old upright piano out onto the street. He sat down and began to play a patriotic song; naturally, the crowd joined in with utmost emotion.
Suddenly someone yelled: "There's a real singer living just nearby. She must join us!" A few minutes later the young lady, slender and somewhat shy, came to the gathering. It was Aafje Heynis. There were cries of "sing, sing!"
Standing by the old piano, she began to sing a Handel aria. It became completely still, and people began to weep. Aafje's beautiful timbre, the splendid melody, the profound meaning of the occasion (freedom after five years of German occupation): all these cast a spell over the dozens of witnesses. "Never again have I been able to sing quite like that", the famous contralto was later to say. ~
Aafje Heynis - Ombra mai fu from SERSE ~ Handel
More selections selections from the Dutch contralto:
Aafje Heynis - Ave Maria ~ Schubert