Paladin (heroic knight) was written for the music society De Heibloem from Meeuwen, Belgium and tells the story of the disastrous Saint Nicholas Day of 1648. In the first half of the seventeenth century, the mercenary armies of Karel van Lorreinen terrorized several villages in the province of Limburg. Between 1,500 and 1,600 farmers gathered in Peer on December 6, 1648, to battle against the cruel mercenaries who looted and burned down their villages. The brave farmers did not stand a chance an...