![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The initial apprehension was long forgotten. The singers’ performance was highly professional, and at the end the audience rewarded them with a standing ovation, which lasted several minutes, and a great deal of applause. However, after the first piece, “Zadok the Priest”, which the Anglo-German composer George Frederick Handel (1685-1759), born in Halle an der Saale, composed for King George II in 1727, it was clear that this choral concert was going to be a truly elevating experience. And the two parts of the “mixed choir” were clearly rather apprehensive. Among its members were Siegmund Ehrmann (SPD), the chairman of the Committee on Cultural and Media Affairs, and Stephan Mayer (CSU), the chairman of the German British Parliamentary Friendship Group. In addition to numerous British parliamentarians, the guests included a high-ranking delegation from the German Bundestag headed by Norbert Lammert. The expectations of the audience were high. Were the two amateur choirs going to manage the ambitious programme, and especially the main work, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s (1809-1847) “Lobgesang”, with German-language lyrics taken from Martin Luther's translation of the Bible? This incident at the start of the concert on Wednesday, 9 July 2014, by the British Parliament Choir and the German Bundestag Choir was symptomatic of the rest of the evening. The momentary uncertainty immediately gave way to cheerful murmuring. In the end those in the first row took matters into their own hands and sat down without waiting to be asked. The audience awaited further instructions, but nothing happened. The 1,200 members of the audience were happy to do so, showing their respect for John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Baroness D’Souza, Lord Speaker of the House of Lords, and their German guests, Bundestag President Norbert Lammert and his wife, who all entered at a stately pace. His voice rang out in Westminster Hall, the most ancient part of the British parliament in the heart of London. “Please rise!” said Black Rod in his traditional attire. The words were polite and to the point, but spoken by someone who obviously expected to be obeyed. ![]()
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