SEASHELLS FROM THE SEYCHELLES 
 

Imagine a small tropical island in a large faraway ocean. Friendly people. Beautiful beaches around every curve of the road. Now add classical music. Stir thoughtfully. Hmm. A potent mix. Rather like the Seychelles Festival of Classical Music, a bi-annual hotel party with music, music, music.

Most of the choral singers were enthusiastic amateurs(Latin:lover) from all over the UK plus our first adventurers from the US. The professional conductors and Festival Orchestra were also British and our soloists came from Norway, Britain and New Zealand. 

We sang the Mozart Requiem and Handel’s Zadok the Priest with Sir David Willcocks, who popped back to London to conduct the Queen’s Jubilee, then returned to us to conduct Gounod’s St Cecilia Mass in Victoria Cathedral for our gala finale. Festival Of Classical Music in the Seychelles. Seychelles Festival of Classical Music.

We sang choruses from grand operas, sea shanties, “Jerusalem” and Rule Britannia with great gusto to celebrate the Jubilee from the ex-colonies! Festival Of Classical Music in the Seychelles. Seychelles Festival of Classical Music.

An outdoor concert with the rolling waves heard in the warm dark evening air. What a thrill!

And all this excitement was preceded by a Gala Concert in Nairobi and a mini-safari. We had rehearsals almost every day and recitals and concerts almost every evening - a feast of best-loved classical music.

A Sing-In to beat all sing-ins and it happens every two years, so watch this space for news of the Seychelles Festival of Classical Music in 2004.  Festival Of Classical Music in the Seychelles. Seychelles Festival of Classical Music.

Will return in 2004.