Sparkling Show

On December 10th we attended a Christmas Celebration at Albert Hall with American friends Nick and Lee Baker, who are living near Bath while Nick is working in England. The show featured the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, joined by two choirs -- the Farnham Youth Choir and The Gentlemen of St. John's (from St. John's College, Cambridge University). The performance was conducted by John Rutter, well-known choral composer and conductor -- and it was spectacular -- in fact SPARKLING.

A major pleasure of attending any performance at Albert Hall is the venue itself. The Hall, built while Victoria was Queen and named for her beloved Prince Albert, saw its first performance in 1871. It was recently renovated and is once again spectacularly beautiful inside as well as out -- with the acoustics made even better by modern science.

The Hall is the home of many fine entertainments including, of course, the Royal Philharmonic, ballets, popular entertainments and even the occasional notable sporting event. One of the most heavily attended events there
(and one of the hardest-to-get tickets in the UK) is the annual Remembrance Ceremony honoring British war dead. (A scene from this ceremony is shown at the left.)

The show we attended included a joyful mix of orchestral and choral numbers. The youth choir, made up of kids from 12 to 17 and winner of many prizes, was unbelievably sophisticated. The men from Cambridge were a delight -- very rich singing, but combined with an easygoing and engaging style. The Philharmonic, it goes without saying, was absolutely first rate, and ended the show with two modern carols written by conductor Rutter.

It is a spine-tingling experience to stand in this large, beautiful oval-shaped hall and sing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" (and a few other traditional carols) with a full orchestra, organ, two choirs and 5000 other audience members. A fantastic and memorable afternoon for sure!