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String Quartet
2021
Cello
Viola
Violin
- Program Notes
- This work is a critique of the social injustices committed by the oppressive South African government at the height of the apartheid era. Its commentary is exemplified through the metaphor of flight 295 – a South African Airways flight that crashed in the Indian Ocean in the late 1980s. The crimes against humanity committed throughout South Africa by the apartheid regime finds a chilling parallel in the events that caused the crash of flight 295. En route from east Asia, it is widely acknowledged that the Boeing 747-200 combi was carrying volatile arms in its cargo compartment. Severe turbulence is said to have caused the arms to become unstable, causing a fire that engulfed the plane in mid-flight. The recklessness of the government in smuggling unstable black-market arms to South Africa (which would then be used to fight a “war” against people of colour) on board a passenger flight, showed their lack of concern for human life. It is an awareness of these atrocities that this composition strives to share with audiences through the expression of the emotions that I feel when I think of the events of that awful era in the history of my country and culture. I believe that it is important to share such harsh history with people so that we can fight against similar human rights violations happening daily around the world. Hierdie werk lewer kommentaar op die ongeregtighede wat deur die onderdrukkende Suid Afrikaanse regering gedurende die apartheid era gepleeg was. Die kommentaar word verteenwoordig deur die metafoor van vlug 295 – ‘n Suid Afriaanse Lugdiens vlug wat gedurende die 1980s bo die Indiese Oseaan verongeluk het. Die misdade teen die mensdom wat deur die apartheidsregering gepleeg was vind ‘n rillende verteenwoordiging in die gebeure wat tot die ongeluk van vlug 295 gelei het. Oppad vanaf oos-Asie word dit breedvarig aanvaar dat die Boeing 747-200 kombi onstabiele wapens in sy vragkompartement vervoer het. Dit word beweer dat erge onstuimigheid in die lug veroorsaak het dat die wapens aan die brand geslaan het en gelei het tot die ongeluk. Die onverantwoordelikheid van die regering, deur die vervoer van onstabiele wapens na Suid Afrika (wat gebruik sou word om teen anders-kleurige mense te veg) op ‘n passasiersvlug, betoon hulle onagting teenoor mense. Dit is ‘n bewustheid van hierdie gruweldade wat hierdie komposisie streef om met gehore te deel deur die uitdrukking van die emosies wat ek ervaar wanneer ek aan hierdie aaklige gebeure in ons geskiedenis dink. Ek glo dat dit belangrik is om hierdie ongemaklike geskiedenis met mense te deel sodat ons vandag teen soortgelyke ongeregtighede rondom die wereld kan baklei.
- Performer Credits
- Monteux String Quartet
- External Links