Sacksioni turns 65 this year and is marking this big birthday with a tour with several of his musical friends. Scheffer – a musician as well as a scientist – is one of them. ‘We did a couple of tours of the theatres at the end of the 1990s. And since then I have been a regular guest player on his solo programme.’ And so it was that Sacksioni invited Scheffer to join his birthday tour.
‘Harry called me to ask: will you come along?’ The answer was yes, albeit after some hesitation. ‘It is quite a lot: 20 concerts, five whole days of rehearsals and then the homework.’ Scheffer will be taking some days off to combine music with science. ‘It is quite strenuous. It is top sport, just like science. You can’t just fit it in on the side.’ Scheffer plays the mandoline, the guitar, the violin and percussion. The tour starts on Thursday 19 February in IJsselstein. The home match in the Junushof is planned for Thursday 2 April.