Live reviews

Well, a busy weekend indeed. On Saturday we went to see the first night of the Royal Opera's new production of Tannhäuser, in Tim Albery's stripped down production. (A full review will follow) Was it my imagination or did Act 3 bring back vague memories of Elijah Moshinsky's stripped down Peter Grimes.

Then on Sunday morning we were singing Gounod's Messe dite de Clovis at St. Mary's Cadogan Street. Another one of those works which makes me wonder where on earth Faust came from. Plenty of ink has been spilled over who wrote Shakespeare's plays, but did Gounod have a tame composer in the closet to write his operatic masterpiece for him? Anyways, the genius (?) found in Faust doesn't seem to find its way into Gounod's masses, useful and pleasant though they are.

Finally off to the Queen Elizabeth Hall for the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment's superb performance of Bach's Christmas Oratorio, complete. With John Butt's fleet tempi, the evening did not last much more than 3 hours including interval. Bliss.

Tonight we are having our dress rehearsal at the Grosvenor Chapel ready for Thursday's concert, From Advent to Epiphany, when London Concord Singers will be premiering my cantata The Magi, further details here.