The first stringquartet depicts a walk the composer made along the seacosts of the province of Zeeland (the Netherlands) starting in Rotterdam and ending in the Vlissingen-port.
This explains the title, which is token from the old Rotterdam-harbour folksong "Toen wij uit Rotterdam vertrokken"/"When we left Rotterdam."
The first part is canonicly based on this folktune whereas the last part ends quotes Zeelandīs unofficial hymn "Zomer in Zeeland"/"Summer in Zeeland" juxtaposed on a cellosolo inspired by the Bach cello suites.
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