We had a particularly busy final week in July, which started by attending two fabulous Proms at the RAH on Sunday 21st, with our son Morgan, on his 33rd birthday. The morning Prom was a concert by the combined forces of my two favourite a cappella ensembles – The King’s Singers and Voces 8. We had a great view and their singing was as sublime as it always is.
Going down the stairs of the RAH I noticed out of a landing window the former Royal College of Organists – that building which terrified so many of us as we made the long climb to destiny up the stairs to the organ hall, preparing to meet the examiners and play our AR/FRCO pieces. It looks a bit neglected now, but – our terror aside – it is a very special, indeed unique and beautiful building. After a long lunch and a visit to the Natural History Museum (I still miss ‘Dippy’ in the grand nave which is the main entrance hall) it was back to the RAH for something very special: Sir Mark Elder’s final Prom with the Hallé.
We had attended their Mahler 5 in Nottingham (see 27th June news item and photos) and hardly expected that that glorious performance could be matched or bettered, but their Proms performance was just superlative. The Prommers went wild, Sir Mark gave a typically well-prepared and witty speech, and then we were treated to Elgar’s Chanson de Nuit as a delicious encore. What a day!