Monument to a Universal Marriage World Premiere soprano mezzo.m4v

Monument to a Universal Marriage,
for string quartet, clarinet and two voices
WILLLEM JETHS

April 1st 2011 marks the tenth anniversary of the first same-sex couple entering into a civil marriage. Civil marriage has since been opened up to same-sex partners in many countries. Both the idea and concept behind this are the brainchild of two inhabitants (Jan Wolter Wabeke - Henk Krol) of the Brabant town of Best (the Netherlands). Campaigns and lobbying activities in the first period of what became a thirteen-year-long struggle also started in Best.
In 2009 the Best municipality decided to celebrate the tenth anniversary of universal civil marriage by commissioning the Dutch composer Willem Jeths to write an occasional piece of music.
The piece (for two voices, string quartet and clarinet) is called Monument to a Universal Marriage and its lyrics are inspired by an ancient epitaph on an Egyptian 18th-dynasty tomb. This special composition has its festive world premiere on April 1st 2011.

'Monument to a Universal Marriage' is performed by the Doelen Kwartet and clarinettist Lars Wouters van den Oudenweijer. The composition is performed in two versions, one with two female voices (Mijke Sekhuis, soprano, and Karin Strobos, mezzo soprano), another with two male voices (Jean-Léon Klostermann, tenor, and Hans Voschezang, baritone). This very first performance partly came about thanks to the financial support of Het Blauwe Fonds and Rabo-Bank.

Friday April 1st 2011, 20.30 hrs
Former Lidwina Church in Best

Category:

Music

Tags:

• willem jeths
• jeths
• karin strobos
• mijke sekhuis
• het doelenkwartet
• gemeente best
• lars wouters vd oudenweijer
• monument
• universeel huwelijk
• universal marriage
• gay marriage
• homohuwelijk