Le Concert Spirituel

Le Concert Spirituel
Royal Albert Hall

Sunday evening at the Albert Hall offers 'Le Concert Spirituel'. I have a quick look on the BBC Proms website, and it's all unfamiliar territory for me. Haven't heard of any of the artists or composers. It's two pieces by Alessandro Striggio (who?), and they start with the words 'Ecce' and 'Ecco'. Could it be something akin to Howard Goodall's Ecce Homo, AKA the Mr Bean theme tune??

The bell chimes to mark the start of the programme, and I haven't got a clue what to expect. The music begins and it's heavily choral. The image I'm getting in my mind is of a church service for a condemned man - he's led down the centre aisle, hands tied behind back, on his way to the hangman's noose. Maybe this image is a reflection of my own insecurity about being somewhere completely foreign. Up until now, I've usually managed to crack out an anecdote or aside, linking the artist or music to something I've experienced in my own life. I have nothing to offer with this one, I'm afraid. But that's not a bad thing, necessarily. We all get lost sometimes.

I'm being premature - it brightens up! Now it's sounding more like a royal coronation, sanctioned and decreed by God (as the early royal appointments were, of course). Musically, it's glorious!

I place a petite, elliptical pizza in the oven. 

The vocals dissipate and the brass instruments take over, in an almost like-for-like switch. 

While I may be at a loss for words regarding the music, there is something almost spiritual about the scent of baking bread and bubbling cheese, as it slowly pollutes the air throughout the ground floor.  

While it was all unknown to me, I have to say that the music was, for the most part, very pleasing to the ear!