Sea Pictures coming home to Norwich

On the evening of Saturday 26th May 2012 I attended my last event at this year's Norfolk and Norwich Festival as the London Philharmonic Orchestra along with the Festival Chorus at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich brought Elgar's Sea Pictures home. It's world premiere was at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival in 1899.

The programme consisted of Nocturnes - Debussy, Sea Pictures - Elgar and Gloria - Poulenc. The concert featured David Parry - conductor, Fflur Wyn - soprano, Anna Stephany - mezzo-soprano and John Andrews - chorus master. A wonderful programme of music to celebrate a piece of history. Seabirds are asleep, the world forgets to weep, sea murmurs her soft slumber song on the shadowy sand of this elfin land.

There was a special atmosphere at St. Andrew's Hall as the London Philharmonic Orchestra along with the Festival Chorus brought this year's Norfolk and Norwich to a glorious finale. We all partied like it was 1899 as the audience imagined how it was like with Edward Elgar conducting with Clara Butt as soloist at the world premiere at the same venue 113 years ago. I'm sure David Parry must have enjoyed conducting this performance.

Fflur Wyn and Anna Stephany were both in fine voice on a night that the London Philharmonic Orchestra brought worldclass classical music to Norwich. Along with Elgar's Sea Pictures there was memorable music by Debussy and Poulenc. Gloria was the perfect way to finish the concert. Gloria in excelsis Deo. Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.