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16 February 2023 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Anja Aucamp
Samson Diamond, Jeanne-Louise Moolman, Prof Anmari van der Westhuizen-Joubert, and Sharon de Kock with the QoP instruments created by luthier Brian Lisus to honour SA’s Nobel peace laureates.

Hope, the viola; Freedom, the first violin; Peace, the second violin; and Reconciliation, the cello, collectively known as the Quartet of Peace (QoP), have found their home at the UFS. The Odeion String Quartet (OSQ) has been made the custodians of this world-famous quartet created by Brian Lisus. The instruments were created by Lisus in 2010 to commemorate the four Nobel peace laureates of South Africa, namely Albert Luthuli, Nelson Mandela, FW de Klerk, and Desmond Tutu. In March 2022, Lisus presented a lecture in the Odeion Theatre to officially present these instruments to the UFS.

Many new performing opportunities 

“The trustees found that justice will be done by making the Odeion String Quartet the new custodians, since they are the only quartet-in-residence at a South African university,” says Prof Anmari van der Westhuizen-Joubert, cellist and Head of the OSQ.

As the custodians of the QoP, it brought many new performing opportunities, both nationally and internationally. “It can also be used in presentations of lectures on all subjects and not only of a political nature. In this way, string quartet music reaches more people than just those who go to concert halls,” Prof Van der Westhuizen-Joubert says. The OSQ consists of Prof Van der Westhuizen-Joubert (cellist), Samson Diamond (violinist and leader of the string quartet), Sharon de Kock (violinist), and Jeanne-Louise Moolman (violinist).

Unique part of UFS identity

The uniqueness of the QoP instruments will be an important element of the OSQ, the Odeion School of Music, the Faculty of the Humanities, as well as the entire UFS community. “One of the plans is to raise money to enable students to come and study with the Odeion String Quartet members at the UFS,” Prof Van der Westhuizen-Joubert says. Another historic moment with these instruments took place in October 2022, when the instruments took centre stage at a concert hosted by Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor, at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg. At this event, the QoP instruments were introduced to the public, important stakeholders, and to guests of the UFS. Other plans include trips to international festivals such as the Ojai Music Festival in the USA in 2023 and the String Quartet Biennale in Amsterdam in 2024.

*This article  first appeared in the Bult Magazine.

News Archive

University gearing up for Varsity Hockey Series
2013-05-09

09 May 2013

Our university will play host to the University of Pretoria (Tukkies), the Northwest University (Pukke) and the University of the Witwatersrand in the Varsity Hockey series. 

All matches will take place from Saturday to Monday at 14:30 and 16:00. 

The programme is as follow:

Saturday 11 May 2013

14:30 – NWU PUKKE vs Wits
16:00 – UP Tukkies vs UFS Kovsies

Sunday 12 May 2013

14:30 – NWU PUKKE vs UFS Kovsies
16:00 – Wits vs UP Tukkies

Monday 13 May 2013

14:30 – NWU PUKKE vs UP Tukkies
16:00 – UFS Kovsies vs Wits

The NWU PUKKE is currently the front runner with 14 points already on the log. PUKKE should also be the toughest team to beat this weekend, with the inclusion of two Protea players in their side. Sulette Damons and Celia Evans will be part of the Northwest’s attempts to stay at the top.

Kovsies and UP Tukkies will also boast with Proteas. Izelle Lategan and Tanya Brits will strengthen Kovsies’ team, while Lilian du Plessis is part of the Tukkies team. Both our university and Tukkies have 10 points after the first three matches played in Potchefstroom.

 

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