Memorial ceremony for Anna Lindh: programme and guests

Memorial ceremony for Anna Lindh: programme and guests
18 september 2003 17:30


Anna Forsberg Head of Press Service 08-700 26 36 070-568 32 44 Jonna Lundberg Press Assistant 08-700 26 83 070-535 77 60 24-hour press service 08-24 76 25 "The memorial ceremony will be a bright occasion, looking to the future, an occasion that gives us an opportunity to say goodbye to Anna and to remember her deep and active commitment to democracy and human rights," says Lars Stjernqvist, Party Secretary. The programme for the memorial ceremony will begin with peaceful music: the New Stenhammar Quartet will perform the Slow Movement for String Quartet by Anton Webern and the third movement, Lento sostenuto, from String Quartet no 3 in F major, op. 18, by Wilhelm Stenhammar. Eva Dahlgren will sing "Ängeln i rummet" (Angel in my room), accompanied by Bengt Forsberg. Esa-Pekka Salonen will conduct a chamber orchestra in performances of compositions by Jean Sibelius (The Death of Mélisande from Peléas and Mélisande, op. 46) and Franz Schubert (second movement, Andante con moto, from Symphony no 5 in B flat major, D 485). They will be joined by Anne Sofie von Otter in Johann Sebastian Bach's cantata "Vergnügte Ruh' beliebte Seelenlust", BWV 170. Stina Ekblad will read "Fåglarna" (The Birds), a poem by Solveig von Schoultz. There will be speeches to Anna Lindh by Göran Persson, Chris Patten, Colin Powell, Nalin Pekgul, George Papandreou, Ardalan Schekarabi and Margot Wallström. "We are both proud and grateful that world-class performers have agreed to participate in our memorial ceremony at such very short notice. Anna Lindh was well known for her interest and involvement in culture, which ran like a leitmotif through her life and endeavours. This makes it particularly pleasing that the programme is of so high a standard," says Lars Stjernqvist. Apart from family and close friends, the ceremony will be attended by the Government, the King and Queen, Princess Lilian, senior members of the party, friends in the party and colleagues from Sweden and many other countries. Foreign ministers from virtually all European countries will be present, including Finnish foreign minster Erkki Tuomioja, French foreign minister Dominique de Villepin, German foreign minister Joschka Fischer, Greek foreign minister Georgios Papandreou, Polish foreign minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewics and British foreign minister Jack Straw. The many other international guests will include Tarja Halonen, Paavo Lipponen, Romano Prodi, Chris Patten, Javier Solana, Hanan Ashrawi, Enrique Baron Crespo, Ritt Bjerregaard, Robin Cook, Alfred Gusenbauer, Lionel Jospin, Zlatko Lagumdzija, Mogens Lykketoft, Jens Stoltenberg, Thorvald Stoltenberg and Hubert Vedrine. The décor will be characterised by classical forms in a pure, modern idiom. Spherical shapes will symbolise global commitment. The colours will cover the spectrum from shades of blue symbolising hope and the future, to burning, passionate red, the colour of commitment, the colour of the heart. The massed standards of all the local branches of the Swedish Social Democratic Party will be joined by the banner of the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League. The Swedish flag, the UN flag and the EU flag will adorn the Blue Hall. (The speakers' CVs are available at www.socialdemokraterna.se. in Swedish.)