A trip to an André Rieu concert, a tragic death, and a New Zealand woman’s promise to return

Heather Jamieson back in Maastricht during her visit last month. Photo / Mitchell Giebels / De Limburger

Hastings couple Heather and Bill Jamieson knew they were on to something special when they watched violinist and entertainer André Rieu perform in his native Netherlands in 2008.

They were so impressed by the concert - in his hometown of Maastricht - that they’ve returned to be serenaded by him every year since, apart from during Covid.

Last July, on what was meant to be their final day in the Netherlands, after another memorable trip and concert, Bill suffered a cardiac arrest in their hotel room.

Tragically, he died three days later in hospital, at the age of 80.

Their Dutch friends were an enormous help in the difficult weeks that followed, and invited Heather, 80, back this year to honour her late husband in the city they loved. And, of course, attend a Rieu concert.

She accepted the invitation and last month made the trip solo for the first time.

“It was sort of like finishing off everything,” she said.

“Bill would have loved it, because that was his happy place, he just loved it there each year.

“I think he would have loved [me going again] and everyone said ‘Bill will be looking down at us all’ ... and I said ‘yes he would have’.”

Maastricht was Bill Jamieson's 'happy place'. Photo / Supplied

She said “Maastricht will always be special to me” being where she last spent time with her husband and all their memories there.

She said the Dutch people were simply “marvellous” during her latest trip.

“We had been there so many years so we knew a lot of people.”

She even stayed in the same hotel they did every year, Hotel DuCasque, where the incident happened.

The hotel put her up in one of their best rooms, with a view over the Vrijthof arena where Rieu plays his home concerts.

Her remarkable return did not go unnoticed and was included as a full-length feature in the region’s newspaper, De Limburger.

Rieu’s son, Pierre, also spoke to her and said it was marvellous she had returned to honour Bill. Heather received flowers from Pierre on behalf of Rieu and his family following the tragedy last year.

She said it was hard to explain what made the concerts and atmosphere so special.

“Everyone is happy. It is such an amazing atmosphere when you are there, everyone is smiling and singing. It’s hard to explain.”

She said Rieu himself was “something special”.

Bill was heavily involved in croquet and bridge clubs in Havelock North, and has been remembered as a nice and gentle man by his family. The couple were married for over 50 years.

Heather said it was a blessing in a way that he died in a “place that he loved so much”.

He was cremated in the Netherlands and his ashes are now in Sydney, where their two sons live and where they resided for 35 years.

Heather actually plans to make one more trip to Maastricht this December, following another invitation from friends.

Rieu’s concert from last month in his hometown of Maastricht, titled Waltz The Night Away, (which Heather attended) will be showing in multiple Hawke’s Bay cinemas between August 30-September 3.

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.