Berberis' World

Sunday, 22nd November 2009, Royal Albert Hall.

Strauss – Also Sprach Zarathustra; Wagner – Ride of the Valkyries; Sousa – Liberty Bell; Handel – Zadok the Priest; Brahms – Hungarian Dance No. 5; Offenbach – Barcarolle; Mussorgsky – Great Gate of Kiev; Bizet – Pearl Fishers Duet; Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue; Elgar – Pomp and Circumstances March No. 1; Orff – O Fortuna; Bizet –Toreador’s Song; Verdi – Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves; Verdi – La donna e mobile; Rossini – Galop from William Tell Overture; Strauss – Blue Danube Waltz; Parry – Jerusalem; Arne – Rule Britannia; Puccini – Nessun Dorma; Tchaikovsky – 1812 Overture; Offenbach – Can Can; Elgar – Land of Hope and Glory.

Roll up! Roll up! Hear the themes from Monty Python and the Lone Ranger! Drool over the shiny horns of the gorgeous Welsh Guards! Be dazzled and/or blinded by the amazing laser light show! Sing along with all the stuff you’ve heard at the party conferences whilst waving a flimsy paper flag! Choke on the endless clouds of dry ice! Try to spot the choir play ‘Pass the Pastilles’ under cover of darkness! Marvel at the skill of the 12 year old pianist whilst wondering just how much bloody longer Rhapsody in Blue can continue! Flinch at the sound of cannons at the end of the 1812, even though you know it’s coming!

A Raymond Gubbay ‘Classical Spectacular’ is Last Night of the Proms for those who cannot possibly stand up for that long. And this, before anyone takes offence, includes myself. (Since joining the LPC, I’ve already missed out on 2 Proms concerts – Dr Who and Evolution! – but there’s a pretty good chance that we’ll be invited to do more, but ClassSpec is the closest I’ve come thus far.) I’d estimate the average age of the audience at between 55 and 70 (as evinced by the preponderance of grey- and white-haired individuals) and there are always special mentions for those celebrating a significant birthday (nonogenarians are not uncommon) or anniversary, as well as anyone reckless enough to propose in public. How can you say no in front of five and a half thousand people?

The usual stuff was on offer – which goes some way to explaining the brevity of the only rehearsal – except for Barcarolle by Offenbach (twee in extremis) and Toreador’s Song (I must find a translation of this, as we were repeatedly scowled at by the soloist for reasons that were unclear). Belting out Land of Hope and Glory several times is always fun, as is being able to sing loud enough to hit the high notes at the end of Rule Britannia.

Classical Spectaculars make money for the LPC, in the same way that Michael Caine makes films like ‘Muppet Christmas Carol’. They come around twice a year (March and November) and there are 3 concerts each time (Friday evening and Sunday afternoon and evening) and we are all expected to do one or more of them. I did all 3 the first time round, before realising why most people only do 2. The dry ice may ruin your voice, but not before the repetition drives you insane.