Jonny Heykens

2025-05-26T18:24:58Z

94.0.41.73: added info about popular releases of "Starlight Serenade"

{{Short description|Dutch composer (1884–1945)}}
[[File:Jonny Heykens 1932.jpg|thumb|Jonny Heykens (1932)]]
'''Jonny Heykens''', Johannes Jacobus Heijkens (24 September 1884 – 28 June 1945) was a [[Dutch people|Dutch]] composer of light classical music, remembered above all for his [[wikt:jaunty|jaunty]] ''Ständchen'' (Serenade) No.1 Opus 21.<ref>[http://axque.blogspot.com/2004_03_01_archive.html Axque Blogspot]</ref>

Heykens was born at [[Groningen (city)|Groningen]]. He was taught violin by [[Eugène Ysaÿe]] at the [[Brussels Conservatory]]. He played in various orchestras before founding his own orchestra in Groningen in 1914. After the [[First World War]], he toured Europe and achieved great popularity, especially in Germany. Heykens composed pieces for his orchestra, plus songs and musical comedies. His records sold widely. In the Second World War, he continued touring throughout Europe. He joined the [[National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands|NSB]], the fascist National Socialist Party of the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite book
|title= Spirit of Resistance: Dutch Clandestine Literature During the Nazi Occupation
|first=Jeroen
|last=Dewulf
|date=2010
|page=141
|publisher=Camden House, London
|isbn=978-1571134936
}}</ref> He expressed racist opinions about Jews and black people and he performed at the parties of important Nazi officials. Resistance groups broadcast his famous tune with words:'' Sells his people and homeland for six loose cents''.<ref>{{cite web
|title= Dutch pop archive
|url=http://www.poparchiefgroningen.nl/personen/jonny-heykens
|access-date=28 January 2016
}}</ref> After the war, Heykens was arrested as a suspected collaborator. He died in prison in [[Hilversum]] several weeks later.

In Japan the Serenade became a popular song, and so it was selected in 1943 by [[NHK|NHK, The Broadcasting Corporation of Japan]] as the signature tune of "The Evening Show for the Front Line", a radio programme to entertain serving [[Imperial Japanese Army|Japanese soldiers]] and [[Imperial Japanese Navy|sailors]], in spite of strenuous government efforts to dispense with Western cultural influences. After [[World War II|WWII]], [[Japanese National Railways]] (JNR) chose part of the serenade for use in its [[Passenger car (rail)|passenger car]]s. It is still used on some of [[Japan Railway]] (JR) trains.<ref>{{cite web
|title = Public Transit Blog
|url = http://www.publictransit.us/ptlibrary/Heykens_2010_04_01.htm
|access-date = 4 Nov 2015
}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|title=Youtube clip of its use by Japanese Railways
| website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FZ5NPS0CcU
|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/8FZ5NPS0CcU |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|access-date=4 November 2015
}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Heykens' Serenade was also used during the 1940s, by Albert Sandler as the signature tune for the BBC Sunday evening radio programme "The Palm Court Orchestra at the Grand Hotel."{{Citation needed|date=April 2014}} In Germany, Heykens Serenade is the music to [[Vicco von Bülow|Loriot]]'s comedy sketch "Schmeckt's?" <ref>{{Cite web
|title=German TV blog
|url=http://www.tvforen.de/read.php?3,946683,947075
|access-date=4 November 2015}}</ref>

The serenade is also used as background music in English listening tests in China.

==In popular culture==

A 1976 barrel organ recording of Heykens’ classic carousel song ''Ständchen'' (Serenade) by the C. John Mears Organisation is prominently featured in popular [[Atari Interactive]] video game [[RollerCoaster Tycoon (video game)|RollerCoaster Tycoon]]. The English yodeller Harry Torrani (Harry Hopkinson) recorded the song on Regal Zonophone MR 2982 backed with The Cuckoo Waltz. Torrani is almost forgotten in the UK now but retains almost legendary status in Australian country music circles, where he was a huge influence on local artists.

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
* {{IMSLP|id=Heykens, Jonny}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heykens, Jonny}}
[[Category:1884 births]]
[[Category:1945 deaths]]
[[Category:Musicians from Groningen (city)]]
[[Category:Dutch composers]]
[[Category:Dutch collaborators with Nazi Germany]]

{{Netherlands-composer-stub}}
[[Category:Dutch fascists]]
[[Category:Dutch people who died in prison custody]]
[[Category:Prisoners who died in Dutch detention]]
[[Category:Nazis who died in prison custody]]

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Jonny Heykens