Ulster Hall Concert

Players in the Ulster Orchestra are permitted to wear anything they like, as long as it is black. Even Bandanna-man!

Now I know why the BBC Invitation Concert, at the Ulster Hall in Belfast last night, began at 7pm: It was a live production on BBC Radio 3. It was publicized in Radio Times as Performance On 3.

I sat in my usual seat upstairs. The Hall was almost full. Being live, a presenter called Petroc Trelawny appeared a few minutes before seven; introduced himself; gave a brief summary of the performance; and prompted the audience to begin applauding.

The conductor was Takuo Yuasa; the soprano, Elizabeth Watts.

The music was Walk to the Paradise Garden, by Delius; Tchaikovsky's Symphony Number 1 in G Minor; and Elizabeth Watts, the soprano soloist, sang Berlioz's Nuits d'été.

I had some difficulty in stifling my coughs and only just managed to wait until appropriate intervals to clear my throat!