29 June, 2010

Confessions of a Chorus Member: Peter Cannell


Festival Chorus member Peter Cannell gives 10 reasons why he's spent 30 years singing in the Festival Chorus...

1. the buzz of performing at the highest level with world class conductors, orchestras and soloists in the fabulous acoustic of the Usher Hall

2. the joy of being a key part of the Festival and not only a spectator

3. the intellectual challenge of mastering so many different styles of music

4. the companionship of shared endeavour and success

5. the half a minute of contemplative silence that greeted a performance of Verdi’s Requiem, conducted by Claudio Abbado, before the audience went wild with appreciation

6. the sheer impossibility of singing Zimmerman’s Requiem before realising after about twenty rehearsals what he was actually trying to say and then performing it in (amongst many venues) former east Berlin

7. the thrill and challenge of conductors’ piano rehearsals when in one rehearsal we have to absorb the conductor’s view of the work and respond to all the nuances of their interpretations

8. the amazement of some new conductors when they realise what they can achieve with this chorus

9. I haven’t failed any of the regular reauditions (yet!)

10. this Chorus enriches the cultural life of Scotland and in a small way helps to make this city of Edinburgh what it is.
To find out more about the Festival Chorus go here.