JUST two days after the House of Representatives voted against legislation that would have allowed same-sex couples to marry, the music community of Canberrais to come out singing. 

And why not? There’s plenty to celebrate, and anyway, as, as Labor MP Albanese told reporters yesterday, “just a few years ago there wouldn’t have been the support of anything like 42 votes on the floor of the national Parliament for a marriage equality bill.”

Fruitful Love is the brainchild of actor Ben O’Reilly, who says he has been “inspired by the breadth and depth of artistic expression inCanberra. For him, true leadership does not lie in the hands of politicians, “but rather in the unique talents, generosity and commitment of artists.”

Taking as its catchcry the words of Michael Kirby, “fortunate is a human being, straight or gay, who has such lifelong love,” this collage of music and words promise to be  a who’s who of Canberra talent, straight and gay, with Louise Page (soprano) Elaine Loebenstein (piano) Chris Latham (violin) Peter Smith (baritone) Jarrad West (tenor) Peter J Casey (vocalist) David Atfield (actor) ACT Qwire (vocal ensemble), and with special contributions from Act MLA Andrew Barr, Michael Kirby, Timothy Conigrave and (from a considerable distance) Patrick White.

“Fruitful Love,” they’re saying, “looks at same sex relationships from the perspective of artists and distils the truth that the commitment of marriage is an affirmation of the human soul’s fundamental search for love and companionship.”

“Fruitful Love,” 7pm Friday September 21 ARC Cinema, National Film & Sound Archive, McCoy Circuit,Acton.

Inquiries to 6248 2000