<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occupied Palestine | فلسطين]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[occupiedpalestine]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/author/hajarhajar/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[PRESS RELEASE FROM BEETHOVIANS FOR BOYCOTTING ISRAEL | London BDS | Sept 1, 2011 &#8211;&nbsp;video]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<div class="entry-meta"><span class="meta-prep meta-prep-author">Posted on</span> <span class="entry-date">2 September 2011</span> <span class="byline"><span class="meta-sep">by</span> <span class="author vcard"><span class="url fn n">London BDS</span></span></span></div>
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<p><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-9478" src="https://freepalestinefortnightlydemo.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/royal-albert-hall.jpg?w=282&#038;h=179" alt="" width="282" height="179" /></p>
<p class="wp-caption-text">Royal Albert Hall</p>
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<p style="text-align:left;" align="center"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Friday 2nd September 2011</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;" align="center"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">A new vocal ensemble, Beethovians for Boycotting Israel (BBI), gave its debut performance at a Prom concert at the Royal Albert Hall yesterday evening.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Their first piece was intricately interwoven with Webern’s Passacaglia, played by guest artists the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO).</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">“<em>We thought we’d liven up the Webern a bit</em>” said Deborah Fink (soprano).<span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">  “<em>The performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at the previous night’s Prom was so exciting that we decided to treat the audience to our own version of the Ode to Joy</em>“.</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="color:#000000;">The lyrics of the BBI’s ”Ode to Boycott” have an unmistakably Beethovian ring:</span></p>
<blockquote><p><span style="color:#000000;">Israel, end your occupation:</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">There’s no peace on stolen land.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">We’ll sing out for liberation</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><em>‘</em>till you hear and understand.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">Ethnic cleansing and apartheid</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">Should belong to history.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">Human rights cannot be silenced:</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">Palestine will soon be free.</span></p></blockquote>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">A performance of the piece, recorded earlier by the BBI Chamber Choir, can be heard here: </span></p>
<span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe class='youtube-player' width='588' height='471' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/5vqEEh-9JP4?version=3&#038;rel=0&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;' sandbox='allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation'></iframe></span>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">Sue Blackwell (alto), who penned the alternative lyrics, said: “<em>We think Ludwig would have approved.<span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">He was known to be a bit of a subversive who had no time for conventions, and he admired the French Revolution with its themes of ‘Liberty, Equality, Fraternity’.</span></em><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><em> Sadly, Israel represents the exact opposite of those ideals</em>.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">During the second piece, Bruch’s Violin Concerto, and in Albėniz’s ”Iberia” after the interval, BBI duos and trios took part in the Proms charitable tradition of synchronised slogan-shouting, including “THE SIEGE OF GAZA – IS OUT OF TUNE – WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW” and “THE IPO – ARE INSTRUMENTAL – IN AN ILLEGAL OCCUPATION”.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">The BBI recital was somewhat curtailed on this occasion due to its members being removed by the Albert Hall security staff, so that they had to continue outside. However, they are intending to build on their Proms success and are now looking for a suitable venue for their next performance.</span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:#000000;">[ends]</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Quotations:</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi (soprano) of Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods, who was one of the choral performers, said: “<em>All this precious talk</em><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><em> about the purity of the music ignores the toxic nature of Israel’s suppression of the Palestinian people</em>.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">Willem Meijs (tenor, aged 70) said: </span></p>
<blockquote><p><span style="color:#000000;">“<em>As someone steeped in classical music from an early age, and a frequent visitor to the Proms since the fifties, I was very hesitant about disrupting a concert in such a hallowed venue. However, I thought inviting the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra was a provocation in its own right. So I felt voicing a peaceful protest during their concert would be nothing compared to the bombing of innocent civilians and the slow but steady genocide inflicted on the Palestinians by the state of Israel, of which this orchestra claims to be a cultural ambassador</em>.”</span></p></blockquote>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">Aharon Shabtai, Israel’s greatest living poet, wrote recently:</span></p>
<blockquote><p><span style="color:#000000;">‘<em>I do not believe that a State that maintains an occupation, committing on a daily basis crimes against civilians, deserves to be invited to any kind of cultural event. That is, it is anti-cultural; it is a barbarian act masked as culture in the most cynical way. It manifests support for Israel, and … that sustains the occupation</em>.’</span></p></blockquote>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Notes for editors:<span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">  </span></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">1.   <span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">      </span>An open letter was sent to the Proms organisers on July 18<sup><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:x-small;">th</span></sup> by PACBI, the Palestinian Campaign for Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel.<span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">  PACBI referred to “the IPO’s complicity in whitewashing Israel’s persistent violations of international law and human rights”, mentioning specifically the IPO’s services to the Israeli army dating back to the ethnic cleansing of the Nakba in 1948 and the occupations of 1967, and continuing up to the present day: “</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">the IPO proudly announces its partnership with the army under a scheme whereby special concerts for Israeli soldiers are organized at their army outposts”.  On behalf of the leading Palestinian musical and cultural organisations, PACBI called on the BBC to withdraw its invitation to the IPO.  <a href="http://www.pacbi.org/">http://www.pacbi.org/</a></span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">2. <span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">        The British Committee for the Universities of Palestine, BRICUP, also wrote to the BBC calling on it to cancel the invitation.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">  <a href="http://www.bricup.org.uk/"><span style="color:#000000;">http://www.bricup.org.uk</span></a></span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">3. <span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">        Unknown to the Proms organisers, the protesters had bought over 40 tickets in a variety of locations in the Royal Albert Hall, including boxes.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">  A group of fifteen were seated in the choir.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">  During the Webern piece the “choir” stood up with letters spelling out “FREE PALESTINE” and sang the “Ode to Boycott” repeatedly until they were removed.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">  When a further group of protesters shouted slogans as the Bruch piece was about to begin, the BBC suspended their live transmission on Radio 3.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">  The BBC attempted to recommence after the interval, but further groups of protesters shouted slogans at the start of the Albėniz piece.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">  At this point the BBC stopped live transmission for the rest of the evening.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">  This is believed to be the first occasion when transmission of a Prom has been disrupted by protesters.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;">4. <span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">        All the protesters left peacefully when requested to do so by security.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> There were no arrests.</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"> Some of the protesters were assaulted by members of the audience but they did not retaliate.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:small;">5</span>.<span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">         Footage of the demonstration and pro-Israel counter-demonstration outside the </span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Hall can be seen here:</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">  </span></span><br />
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<span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe class='youtube-player' width='588' height='471' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Cf1ZTIvVKSw?version=3&#038;rel=0&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;' sandbox='allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation'></iframe></span><br />
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<span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">(courtesy of</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">  Seymour Alexander)</span></span></p>
<p><a href="http://londonbds.org/2011/09/02/press-release-from-beethovians-for-boycotting-israel/">Source</a></p>
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