Confinements by Judith Mok
We remember Judith Mok, the Dutch soprano, writer, and vocal coach
Judith died in November of 2024
When Covid was locking us in, she sang from her Dublin balcony, delighting the passers-by. That voice had been heard in concert halls around the world - on stages she shared with the London Sinfonietta, the Vienna Symphony and others, in works by Mozart, Puccini, Bob Zimmerman and Tan Dun.
As you'll hear in the programme, she wrote beautifully, publishing poetry and fiction in Dutch and English, and in 2022 she published her powerful memoir, The State of Dark. Judith was also a gifted vocal coach; her students including Grace Jones, Radiohead's Thom Yorke, The Frames' Glen Hansard and Soda Blonde's Faye O'Rourke.
She'll be remembered by a huge community of friends for her consummate artistry, her warmth, and sparkling intelligence - and dearly missed by her beloved family.
On our national Holocaust Memorial Day, we’ll hear Judith perform her radio memoir, Confinements, which was recorded in 2021 during the pandemic.
Recurring lockdowns prompt echoes from her family history; of precious moments together, and of lives lost in the darkest days of World War II.
These histories criss-cross with Judith’s recordings as a soprano, including her singing of the piece Zey, described by composer Jeff Hamburg as 'a lament for a culture that had almost been wiped out.’
Sound Design and Sound Supervision were by Mark Dwyer.
Confinements by Judith Mok was produced by Kevin Brew.
The Series Producer of Drama On One is Kevin Reynolds.
Music featured in ‘Confinements’, all performed by Judith Mok
Zey
Composer: Jeff Hamburg
Performed with the New Sinfonietta Amsterdam.
Nani (Sephardic Song)
Performed with the Khoshravesh brothers on Setar, Kamancheh,Ney Damam and Udu.
Serena's Song
Addio Querido (Sephardic Song)
My Friend
Composer: Tchaikovsky
Performed with pianist Dearbhla Collins
Machmes Wos - The Dybbuk Lied
Composer: Louis Andriessen
Performed with Netherlands Promenade Orchestra conducted by Jan Stulen