Beethoven Flashmob

Our choir flashmobbed the Commonwealth Games Gala Concert at the Usher Hall tonight. We were distributed on either side of the front stalls and, after the interval, when Alexander Bloch came back on to the stage so did our musical director Stephen Deazley from the other side. Some of the orchestra musicians looked concerned and puzzled as Stephen handed Alexander a red card, very funny, (luckily Alexander was in on the joke) then Stephen cued John to start the big organ and on our cue we stood up and sang Beethoven's Ode to Joy in German. Some of us were a bit nervous, after all we, a humble community choir. were singing in front of proper musicians. I think we did alright, had a great time anyway! Freude schöner götterfunken will forever be ingrained in my brain!

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Edinburgh Royal Choral Union, conducted by Alexander Bloch and Michael Bawtree, performed works by Walton, Mendellssohn, Rachmaninov, Vaughan Williams, the piano soloist was Stephen Hough and John Kitchen played the organ. Beautiful and dynamic stuff! At the end as an addition they played Alfred Hitchcock's theme tune aka Gounod's Funeral March of a Marionette.

I had to take a picture of the stage before as cameras weren't allowed during the performance.