November Music presents Bosch Requiem in five cities in the Netherlands

November Music 2023 takes place from 1 to 12 November at various locations in 's-Hertogenbosch and opens on Wednesday 1 November 2023 with the Bosch Requiem, composed by Aart Strootman on a libretto by Jan Rot. The Bosch Requiem can be heard in 's-Hertogenbosch, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Groningen and Rotterdam in the period around All Souls' Day.  

Bosch Requiem 2023

For the seventh time, November Music will have a new requiem composed under the title Bosch Requiem, this time titled Last Words. The libretto consists literally of the last words Jan Rot wrote before he died in spring 2022. Aart Strootman composes a comforting reflection on life. The work is performed by Cello Octet Amsterdam, Mallet Collective, bassist Fred Jacobsson and singers Rianne Wilders and Fanny Alofs. Last Words besides its performance in 's-Hertogenbosch, can also be heard at the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, SoundsofMusic (Groningen), TivoliVredenburg and De Doelen.

Aart Strootman on his new work 

Last Words is a work in which I have brought together my favourite musicians and an unrivalled lyricist. Not necessarily a requiem for the dead, or a resounding farewell but a (hopefully timeless) comforting reflection on life. The sound of the work, with its emphasis on cello and percussion, dovetails perfectly with Jan Rot's last words.

For Last Words Strootman designed some instruments.

Practical - dates Bosch Requiem 2023

Wednesday, November 1, 2023, November Music, 's-Hertogenbosch
Thursday 2 November 2023, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, Amsterdam
Friday 3 November 2023, TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht
Saturday 4 November 2023, SoundsofMusic, Grand Theatre, Groningen
Thursday 9 November 2023, De Doelen, Rotterdam

 About November Music

With seven composition commissions and 100 different concerts, November Music shows in the 31^ste edition see how diverse and vital the latest music is.

November Music is the festival for all adventurous music lovers. Every year, it brings together the most idiosyncratic and progressive creators and musicians from all over the world. Not with the flow or against it, but with new, own currents. It is precisely by giving a place to all these different sounds that November Music allows a personal and individual story to be heard, just as the makers themselves do.

Experience modern composed music, jazz, world music, musical theatre, pop, installations and genres you never thought possible yourself. November Music creates encounters and challenges creators to jump into the deep end.

From 2021, November Music will be part of the national cultural basic infrastructure, known as the BIS. For more information, visit www.novembermusic.net.