There is always something special about performances of the Verdi Requiem by the Edinburgh Festival Chorus. Director Christopher Bell had the same success as his predecessors in generating the amazingly projected whisper effect that can apparently be heard a mile away. It is always an exciting way to bring the three weeks of the Festival to an end.
Usually the orchestra for these events is one of the London bands, but here was Donald Runnicles drawing wonderful sounds from the BBC Scottish.
The solo quartet were well-matched. Both the men were recently-emerged American stars, and very welcome. Canadian Erin Wall soon became a Festival regular.
The great Arbroath mezzo Karen Cargill, just emerging as an international star, was in majestic form, with a cutting edge to her warm tone reminiscent of the great Italian mezzos of the past.
The BBC recorded this, and during the Covid-19 shut down of 2020, when all summer events were cancelled, they selected it as one of the Festival events to be dug up from the archives for re-broadcast. Well worth hearing.
Date to be confirmed.
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