The Queen



Pictures show the Queen and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at the opening of the hall in 1951.
Tuesday and the Royal Gala concert marking the reopening of the Royal Festival Hall. We had to be there at 3 p.m. because of security. 600 singers from 7 choirs took part and I sat between tenors from the Billingshurst choral society and the London Philharmonic choir. Paul Daniel conducted. The concert started late. The front stalls were full of sopranos in orange and altos in green, tenors in pink tops and basses in brown. After the National anthem, we sang Zadok the priest. The Sixteen and the Adventist chorale combined in a sensational version of Purcell's Come ye sons of art. Watching Ken Burton's face was an inspiration! The London Philharmonic strings then played Elgar's Introduction and Allegro. What a fine work this is and I don't recall hearing it live before. In the interval there was champagne and I spoke to Julian Lloyd Webber about his father's music. Also spotted Chris Patten former minister for the arts. The second half was Beethoven 9 last movement with new English words by Billy Bragg. Not a happy setting for singers and much talk of singing in unison - would this do for a Unison conference? Afterwards we saw the Queen leaving - she looked splendid and drove off in a dark maroon car. She was at the opening of the hall and the programme shows how fashions have changed. Gone are the tiaras, furs and evening dress of the 1950s! On the train home we chatted to a happy butcher from Orpington who works at Harrods!

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