Music this week
On Wednesday back to Philharmonia Chorus after a gap since the Verdi Requiem to rehearse Beethoven's "Fidelio" at Hinde St Methodist church with Martin Merry of ENO. I was unable to sing at King's Cambridge as the concert fell on Easter Vigil but heard the excellent broadcast on Easter Monday (Light of Life and Sursum Corda by Elgar, Vaughan Williams 5 mystical songs). It is 28 years since the chorus first sang on stage in Fidelio in Orange. It was an amazing experience. Zubin Mehta conducted the Israel Philharmonic with Gundula Jamowitz and Jon Vickers. I have a video of the rehearsals with the chorus trying to march! The feeling of liberation was fantastic after being cooped under the stage in the heat. At one rehearsal we sang every verse of Ilkley Moor ba tat as we waited. Professionals would never have stood for it! At another both cameras ran out of film. Seeing the film of the performance 10 years later was sad as several friends had passed on. The coach had a ...