Onbekendegracht
lists most of the waters of Amsterdam.
The
Onbekendegracht ("Unknown Canal") is a canal in Amsterdam, situated
behind the 'Carré' Theatre.
In the recording
of the list, the names are spoken with the word accent on the last part, unlike
in normal Dutch pronunciation. This last part is usually that which indicates
what type of water it is (eg. a canal, a harbour, a lake, a pond etc.).
The Dutch word for alley, "steeg" is also the past tense singular of the verb "stijgen", "to rise". This gave me the idea for the continuously rising accompaniment in the recording, using Shepard tones.
Gebed zonder End is a listing of the small alleys of Amsterdam.
Gebed zonder End ("Prayer without End") is itself an alley in Amsterdam.
It's also a standard expression in the Dutch language, for something that's going to take forever, that will last far too long.
