The Outsiders Fight Back: A commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots

The Stonewall riots, centring on the Stonewall Inn in New York, are seen as the catalyst for the fight for gay rights worldwide. This concert will feature readings of eyewitness accounts, some previously unheard, from people who took part in the riots, giving a vivid impression of the events of the summer of 1969.

There will be songs by William Bolcom, John Corigliano (from his cycle Mr Tambourine Man, with words by Bob Dylan), Christopher Berg, Chris DeBlasio, Margaret Bonds, Lee Hoiby and others.

The concert will feature two world premieres; a song-cycle commissioned by The London Song Festival, written by Ben Moore one of America’s most prominent contemporary composers, with a text specially written by Mark Campbell, librettist for 15 contemporary American opera including ‘Stonewall’ by Iain Bell, which is being premiered by New York City Opera in June this year, and ‘Silent Night’, which received the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Music.

This concert will also a performance of a new song by Anthony Green, composer, performance artist and gay rights activist, on the subject of Marsha P Johnson and Silvia Rivera, both activists and drag queens who played a prominent role in the Stonewall riots.

More details at the London Song Festival website.