Watch her story:
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Little Match Girl
The Story Behind 🎥
The simple act of caring is heroic.
”In the evening I gazed around
Saw the matches in my hand
In the warmth of the window
People laughing
Their emotions were banned
From all the sorrows outside their land ”
”All we ever long for,
Everyone single one of us,
Is to be treated with
Love and kindness. – Catalijne
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The Little Match Girl is a story by Hans Christian Andersen. The story is famous not only because of its poignant tragedy but also because of its beauty. Our imagination (and literature) can give us comfort, solace, and reprieve from so many of life’s hardships. But literature can also act as a reminder of personal responsibility.
Does this story make you re-evaluate your life, those things you cherish most?
‘The Little Match Girl’ by Hans Christian Andersen
It was terribly cold and nearly dark on the last evening of the old year, and the snow was falling fast. In the cold and darkness, a poor little girl with bare head and naked feet, roamed through the streets. In an old apron she carried a number of matches, and had a bundle of them in her hands. No one had bought anything of her the whole day, nor had anyone given her even a penny. Shivering with cold and hunger, she crept along, looking like the picture of misery. The snowflakes fell on her fair hair, which hung in curls on her shoulders, but she regarded them not.
Lights were shining from every window, and there was a savory smell of roast goose, for it was New-year’s eve. In a corner, between two houses one of which projected beyond the other, she sank down and huddled herself together. She dared not go home, for she had sold no matches.
Her father would certainly beat her. Her little hands were almost frozen with the cold. A burning match might be some good, if she could draw it from the bundle and strike it against the wall, just to warm her fingers. She drew one out and it gave a warm, bright light, like a little candle, as she held her hand over it.
It seemed as though she was sitting by a large iron stove. How the fire burned! And seemed so beautifully warm that the child stretched out her feet as if to warm them, when, lo! the flame of the match went out
The stove vanished, and she had only the remains of the half-burnt match in her hand.
She rubbed another match on the wall. And another, and another. In front of her more wonderful visions appeared. A delicious dinner, a beautiful lightened christmas tree…
Then she saw a star fall, leaving behind it a bright streak of fire. “Someone is dying,” thought the little girl, for her old grandmother, the only one who had ever loved her, and who was now in Heaven, had told her that when a star falls, a soul was going up to God.
She again rubbed a match on the wall, and the light shone round her; in the brightness stood her old grandmother, clear and shining, yet mild and loving in her appearance.
“Grandmother,” cried the little one, “O take me with you; I know you will go away when the match burns out; you will vanish like the warm stove, the roast goose, and the large glorious Christmas-tree.” And she made haste to light the whole bundle of matches, for she wished to keep her grandmother there. Her grandmother had never appeared so large or so beautiful. She took the little girl in her arms, and they both flew upwards in brightness and joy far above the earth, where there was neither cold nor hunger nor pain, for they were with God.
In the dawn of morning there lay the poor little one, with pale cheeks and smiling mouth, leaning against the wall. She had been frozen on the last evening of the year.
“She tried to warm herself,” said some. No one imagined what beautiful things she had seen, nor into what glory she had entered with her grandmother, on New-year’s day. (source: https://www.thoughtco.com/little-matchstick-girl-short-story-739298)
Credits ⋆
Through the Wilderness | Little Match Girl
Music & lyrics: Catalijne
Music: Jos Kamps
Producer: David van Dorsten
Original arrangement: Jos Kamps, Catalijne
Additional Instrumental arrangement: David van Dorsten
Cello: Paul Rittel
Guitar: Jos Kamps
Mix: Wessel Oltheten
Mastering: Jerboa mastering
©HowalAshmenMusic2020 (Strengholt Music Group)
Credits ‘Prelude’
With the voice talent of Inge den Haan
Concept by Howal Ashmen Music
Sound production: David van Dorsten
Clip by Howal Ashmen
©HowalAshmenMusic2020
Fun Fact
In the song you hear a melancholic whistle sounding through the cold lonely streets, a metaphor for the lonely wandering little match girl.
But recording those whistles, that was a whole different story!
I had asked my brilliantly whistling father for this recording and lets say it took us maybe over two hours to get the whistles done. But not by my father.
I think he’s had a traumatic experience. I’ve never heard him whistle since…
The Making Of
Lyrics
In the morning I woke up
Saw the matches in my hand
Another day to go outside
And sell them to the wealthy men
A new day
New beginning to find a way
In the midday I looked up
Saw the matches in my hand
Took shelter in a nook
Cold is slowly gaining land
People pass by
Free from worries, living their lies
And I’ll bear the pain
I know it will not always be this way
The sun will shine and light
The darkest world around me
Warm my heart inside
In the evening I gazed around
Saw the matches in my hand
In the warmth of the window
People laughing
Their emotions were banned
From all the sorrows outside their land
And then the moon began to shine
Silence came, was taking over my life
But in their glow beautiful dreams
Appeared before me
Pushing the cold outside
She said, I care for you
And I am here to comfort you
The clock is ticking
And the time is rushing by
Her hand leading mine
Cold is taking over
My body is keeling over
I see a star
Falling down from the sky
Cold is taking over
My body is keeling over
I’m gone
I fade into the night
I’m gone
In the morning they woke up
Saw the matches in my hand
In their eyes a frozen girl
I had gone to my homeland
Chapters
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THROUGH THE WILDERNESS
A cinematic journey through the Wilderness of life.
Through the Wilderness is a movie soundtrack album by singer & songwriter Catalijne with epic songs about life, inspired by stories from long, long ago. Fairytales, folktales, legendes and romanticized history have been the inspiration for this album, shaped in an orchestral, cinematic and theatrical manner.
Music&Lyrics by Catalijne | Producted by David van Dorsten | Arrangements by David van Dorsten, Catalijne, Jos Kamps
