In a previous thread in 2008 I mentioned that my choir would be going to the UK in July 2010. The intervening time has flown by, and we’ll be off to London in five weeks’ time.
And to add to the excitement, I’ve been allocated a couple of the tenor solos: those in Vaughan Williams’ G Minor Mass and Howells’ Collegium Regale setting of the Nunc Dimittis.
For any London Dopers who may be interested in hearing the choir sing, here is our schedule:
Monday 12 July: Evensong at Westminster Abbey, 5.00pm
Tuesday 13 July: Evensong at Westminster Abbey, 5.00pm
Friday 16 July: Mahler 8 at Opening Night of the Proms, Albert Hall, 7.30pm
Monday 19 July: Evensong, St Paul’s Cathedral, 5.00pm
Tuesday 20 July: Lunchtime concert, St Paul’s Cathedral, 1.15pm
Thursday 22 July: Performance, Australia House, 6.30pm
The Evensongs will be free entry, of course. The others will require payment, although I gather that tickets to the Opening Night Mahler 8 are pretty much unprocurable now. Also, at this stage, it’s still a little unclear whether the Australia House concert is going to have a restricted guest list, or be general entry. Apparently the High Commissioner hasn’t finalised the details yet.
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I took a trip with a church choir to England, Scotland, and Wales in 1983 and it was great fun! One of the best times of my life. We stayed with families (who served us breakfast and packed us a lunch) and sang in those noontime concerts that lots of churches have.
It was fantastic. To this day, when I hear the music that we sang (over and over- LOL), it takes me right back to that glorious time.
Word of advice: Be VERY CAREFUL crossing streets! Look both ways a couple of times…
By all accounts the bookable tickets for the First Night sold out within hours of going on sale. (And not particularly because it’s the First Night - you’re in a concert that would sell out on any night of the season.) However it is a Prom and there are the tickets for standing in the arena - which are both cheap and give what the purists claim is the best experience - that are held back for sale on the day. Granted, in a popular sellout like this one, anyone wanting one will have to queue most of the day, but it’s very much part of the ethos of the Proms that such tickets are available.
(You’ll be part of what does look like the best opening weekend of the Proms that I can remember. Though we wound up getting tickets for the Sunday night Verdi, rather than the Mahler or the Wagner.)
If you can put any clips of it online, I’d love to hear them. Hopefully at least a few seconds would be okay. Heck, it could be used to entice people to buy the official recording.
The Mahler 8 at the opening night of the Proms on Friday 16 July is being broadcast live on BBC television and radio. I don’t know whether there are any arrangements to record any of the other performances.
You’ll be singing with the BBCSC, my usual band, although I’m not doing the Mahler this year. First Night of the Proms in the Royal Albert Hall is magic - enjoy!
The first two Evensong performances have come and gone, and both went well. It was rather odd singing in Westminster Abbey. The building is big and barn-like, yet the choir stalls are enclosed, so the space seemed much smaller.
Now, after two piano calls and two general rehearsals, we’re all excitedly looking forward to tonight’s Mahler performance for the opening night of the Proms. It should be a huge buzz.
:smack: