Klosters Concerts 2012

Klosters Christmas Concerts
14,15,16 December 2012

Philharmonia Orchestra
University of Lund Student Singers
Oliver Gerrish - Countertenor

St Jakob's Church Klosters

I had the honour to be asked to perform as soloist alongside the Philharmonia orchestra in Klosters, Switzerland, last weekend. The Lund Student Singers were also there, and it was wonderful to perform with them too. The concerts took place at Hotel Vereina and St Jakob's Church to capacity audiences.

                                       The audience at St Jakob's Church

The organisers of the festival were Geoff Richards and Claude Schauerte, who both put in considerable time, effort and energy in to making it all happen. This was no small feat when one considers the fifteen strong orchestra, choir of twelve and all the trappings associated with a lot of English and Swedish musicians plonked in the the middle of the Swiss Alps!

Self with the Lund Student Singers and Geoff Richards, Claude Schauerte and David Whelton, Managing Director of the Philharmonia, at Hotel Vereina

We all stayed at the historic Hotel Vereina, the forerunner of which my Grandmother had stayed in in the 1930's when it was known as the Grand Hotel Vereina. She looked like she had a huge amount of fun and I'm pleased to say that we all did too. It was a delight to get to know the Lund Chamber Choir, who apart from being brilliant are also incredibly fun and charming and I now have quite a social life mapped out for me in Sweden!

             Granny and my Great Aunt making merry at The Grand Hotel Vereina in the 1930's

The first night was a great success, despite some of the orchestra being delayed for eight hours by a late plane and some others getting stuck on the piste somewhere. Anyhow, it all went off with a bang and the re was a wonderful mixture of Swedish, British and other European music. I sang 'But who may abide' from The Messiah, which somehow went to double or even treble speed in the 'fast' section, so that was rather scary, but it went off alright in the end.

I managed to get some skiing in and even a little off piste. The scenery in Klosters, especially at this wonderful uncrowded time of year, is stunning. Lunch was predictably merry and the Swedes serenaded the assembled skiers with a song about gondolas in Venice...all very fun and quite unlike any other day's skiing I'd had before!

The painted stone vaulted roof of the Chancel at St Jakob's Church

That night it was to the historic church of St Jakob, with its wonderful sixteenth century painted stone vaulted chancel, for the formal concert, in which I performed 'Va tacito e nascosto' from Handel's Giulio Cesare alongside Alastair Mackie, one of the World's great trumpet players.

                Oliver Gerrish with the Philharmonia and the Lund Student Singers

 The Chamber choir belted out some wonderful airs and then came the Philharmonia with Vivaldi's Four Seasons. This was like a musical firework display, which left us all feeling exhilarated and in awe of the playing of the orchestra and in particular Zsolt-Tihamer Visontay, violinist and Concert Master of the Philharmonia, who raised the roof and gave us all a performance we will never forget. The whole piece had the energy of the best rock concert, the finesse of Baroque Italy and we were all taken through the emotions of this extraordinary piece with utmost joy and intrigue.

David Whelton

Saturday night's concert was full of Christmas music and the Swedes gave some brilliant and unique renditions of well-known English carols. I performed 'O Thou that tellest' from The Messiah and the brass section of the Philharmonia raised the roof with their playing.

Oscar Nekking and David Magnusson of Lund Student Singers embrace Swiss Alpine Life!

The whole weekend was exhilarating and inspiring. I relished the chance to sing alongside the Philharmonia, one of the great orchestras of the World, and also the Lund Student Singers, who were superb and so welcoming and encouraging.

I will miss Klosters, and hope to be back there in the Summer for the festival there.

All images in this blog are under the copyright ownership of Oliver Gerrish