Abstract
REZA BARATI by Brooke Green is originally for viol consort, which Brooke arranged for Baroque violin, viola da gamba, keyboard (organ or harpsichord), and hand drum. The music is inspired by the late Reza Barati, who was a 23-year-old Kurdish Iranian asylum seeker who on 17 February 2014 was killed on
Manus Island, Australia’s detention centre in Papua New Guinea. He had been sent there after arriving
in Australia on 24 July 2013, just five days after the “Offshore Solution" was announced. This is the
Australian Government's policy: that despite Australia being a signatory to the UN Convention on
Refugees, no-one who arrives by boat will ever be settled in mainland Australia. Soon after being
informed of this, sixty-two detainees were injured as staff attempted to quell their so-called "riot". It
seems that Reza was an unlucky bystander since apparently when the riot started, he was upstairs in
the library. As he came down the stairs, he was set upon by a large group of staff who beat him to death
for no known reason. A week later, Brooke was one of 15,000 Australians who attended protests and
candlelight vigils in memory of Reza. On 19 March 2016, a security guard and a Salvation Army worker
were each sentenced to ten years gaol for his murder, with five years of their sentences suspended. In envisaging this piece, Brooke pictured a tense atmosphere: the opening theme and slow-moving chords represent walls of authority that eventually break down and turn in on Reza. The bass viol soloist is Reza’s voice, and the drum is his heartbeat. After the depiction of his frenzied murder, the opening
theme is softened with an imagined transcendence.
This concert at the Belltable in Limerick was Yonit's 4th performance of Reza Barati in Ireland, and the first to welcome Brooke Green in attendance from Australia.
This performance was supported with funding from the Arts Council of Ireland, Limerick City & County Council, and Limerick Arts Office.
Manus Island, Australia’s detention centre in Papua New Guinea. He had been sent there after arriving
in Australia on 24 July 2013, just five days after the “Offshore Solution" was announced. This is the
Australian Government's policy: that despite Australia being a signatory to the UN Convention on
Refugees, no-one who arrives by boat will ever be settled in mainland Australia. Soon after being
informed of this, sixty-two detainees were injured as staff attempted to quell their so-called "riot". It
seems that Reza was an unlucky bystander since apparently when the riot started, he was upstairs in
the library. As he came down the stairs, he was set upon by a large group of staff who beat him to death
for no known reason. A week later, Brooke was one of 15,000 Australians who attended protests and
candlelight vigils in memory of Reza. On 19 March 2016, a security guard and a Salvation Army worker
were each sentenced to ten years gaol for his murder, with five years of their sentences suspended. In envisaging this piece, Brooke pictured a tense atmosphere: the opening theme and slow-moving chords represent walls of authority that eventually break down and turn in on Reza. The bass viol soloist is Reza’s voice, and the drum is his heartbeat. After the depiction of his frenzied murder, the opening
theme is softened with an imagined transcendence.
This concert at the Belltable in Limerick was Yonit's 4th performance of Reza Barati in Ireland, and the first to welcome Brooke Green in attendance from Australia.
This performance was supported with funding from the Arts Council of Ireland, Limerick City & County Council, and Limerick Arts Office.
| Original language | English (Ireland) |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Belltable, Limerick |
| Media of output | Online |
| Publication status | Published - 23 Mar 2025 |
Keywords
- contemporary music
- period instruments
- refugee
- migrant communities
- social justice
