Verdi Requiem

Last night we sang Verdi's Requiem in Westminster Cathedral. This was the 50th anniversary concert of the Philharmonia Chorus. Liz has been in the chorus 39 years and I have been in it 34 years. All those journeys to the Gandhi Hall! The cathedral was packed and security was tight as the Prince of Wales who is our Patron attended the concert. Riccardo Muti last conducted us in the 80s and he was much changed at rehearsal, making jokes and smiling. He was not so happy at the lunchtime rehearsal as the cathedral remained open and he found people wandering about and talking distracting. It would have been better to close the cathedral for the rehearsal! Liz is 7th in on the front row from the left and I am on third row down from the left - look for the bald head! The 4 soloists were superb - a scintillating soprano Tatiana Serjan reaching top Bs with ease, a rich mezzo Olga Borodina, fine tenor Giuseppe Sabbatini and a Verdian bass Peter Lindroos who is the son of the famous Finnish tenor of the same name. I found the occasion very moving with so many memories of thos ewho have gone before not least my Mum and Dad and the wonderful Maestro Giulini. It was Giulini who showed us what a religious work this is. Of course it is dramatic and operatic but it is not shallow. Maestro Muti commented that the Italian approach to death as a tragic event is very different to the English approach. "All life is theatre" and the tragic and comic in Italian music are often very close. It all depends how the music is sung and played. It was good to see former members of the chorus in the audience but why did we need 50 professional voices to boost our numbers? See http://westminstercathedral.blogspot.com for some fine photos!