Listen to this song, performed by Nico van der Meel

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This song about the beautiful Lizette first appeared in 1802 under the titles 'De fiere schone (The proud beauty)' and 'Het bedrogene meisje (The cheated girl)'. Farmer's daughter Lizette thinks that life is better in the city, which is why she rejects the marriage proposal of Kolijn, an honest farmer's son. Kolijn then marries another girl. This ruins Lizette's chances of future happiness: no-one dares to propose to her any more and she becomes an embittered old maid.

The moral of this story is that girls should not reject good suitors in hopes of something better. This moral was officially condoned by the Maatschappij tot Nut van 't Algemeen (Society for the Common Good). In one of its songbooks, 'Volksliedjes (Folk Songs)' (Amsterdam 1807), 'Kolijn' was awarded a place between other songs promoting civil virtue and contentment.

The melody is derived from the song 'Femmes, voulez-vous éprouver' from the opera Le Secret (1796), composed by J.P. Solié. The author of the Dutch lyric is unknown.

'De fiere schone' is sung by tenor Nico van der Meel, accompanied by Louis Grijp on guitar.

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