GOK-blog maart 2012 #3 - "Might the Coca-Cola Company be interested in het Groot Omroepkoor?"

Het Groot Omroepkoor werkte mee aan twee uitvoeringen van de Negende van Beethoven met het Chamber Orchestra of Europe o.l.v. Bernard Haitink op 28 februari 2012 in Amsterdam en 5 maart in Parijs. Tenor Eyjólfur Eyjólfsson ('most people call me Eyvi') hield een fotoblog bij, in het Engels...

Our second concert of Beethoven's ninth Symphony with Maestro Bernard Haitink and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe was given at the Salle Pleyel in Paris last Monday evening. After a few hours delay on the Thalys train service we arrived to Paris just in time for a quick warm up with Chorus Master Edward Caswell before we joined Maestro and Orchestra in the big hall. The concert was very well received by the Parisians and it was a wonderful experience to perform in this lovely hall.

I - Soprano Judith Petra doesn't seem bothered at all by the long delay on the Thalys train. The train stood still at Bruxelles station for about two hours if I remember correctly due to a train near Paris catching fire earlier that morning.

II - Bass Joep van Geffen delighted with the complimentary lunch from the Thalys team to ease the wait during the delay. A lunch box filled with French delicacies; salade verte, pâté de thon, salade Niçoise and last but not least, mousse au chocolat. Lekker!

III - At last in Paris. Israeli bass, Itamar Lapid, enjoying the bus ride between Gare du Nord and Salle Pleyel.

IV - Judith Petra and her French can of Coca-Cola Light. Might the Coca-Cola Company be interested in het Groot Omroepkoor for it's next commercial campaign?

V - During the warm up rehearsal in Salle Chopin. Soprano Elma van den Dool very happy to be in Paris.

VI - An international game of poker. Two tenors and two basses clear their minds with their regular poker before going on stage. From left to right: Boguslaw Fiksinski from Poland, Palle Fuhr Jørgensen from Denmark, Ioan Micu from Romania and Joep Bröcheler from Holland.

VII - Hand of Queens. Bass Joep Bröcheler slightly concerned.

VIII - The majority of the choir members left Paris the following morning. I had planned to travel back with the evening train so that I could go and visit the Musée d'Orsey. After a lovely walk along the Champs-Élyssée and crossing the beautiful Pont Alexandre III I soon arrived to the former railway station. Upon my arrival I was greeted with the longest queue I have ever encountered and since my time in Paris was short I decided to postpone my long desired visit to the museum. The disappointment soon vanished as I was again taken by the many impressive sights of this ancient city during a walk in the Latin district. Paris' oldest church, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, is a former Benedictine abbey and the burial place of Merovingian kings of Neustria. The church is quite run down and is in need of serious maintenance. But due to it's poor state, the atmosphere is very special and mysterious.

IX - Before heading back to Gare du Nord I met up with my lovely niece and fashion student, Helga Sigríður, at La Perle in the charming Marais. The place is full of Parisian flair and colourful characters. The friendly Monsieur Pasquarelli was very keen on having his picture taken with my niece while she was waiting for our drinks at the bar table.

> GOK-blog maart 2012 #2 - "Maestro Haitink seemed quite pleased"
> GOK-blog maart 2012 #1 - "Haitink brings truth and sincerity to every musical intention"