It was basically a carol service with the Mozart Festival Chorus (who are drawn from the English National Opera, Covent Garden & Monteverdi Choir). The Mozart Festival Orchestra supplied the wonderful music & was ably conducted by Stephen Devine who, to my delight also played the harpsichord... as well as cracking a few jokes! The soprano was Anna Devin who had THE most gorgeous voice.
Everyone was in 18th Century costume, so lots of lovely velvet & brocade on show. Julian [in a long wig & very swirly frock coat & leggings] made a couple of readings. One from "The Birth of the Infant Jesus" & another from "A Christmas Carol" by Dickens...which he seemed to really relish & included a fair bit of his usual hand waving/gesturing etc.
He read both beautifully, as we'd all expect, but I got the distinct impression he rather enjoyed the extract from Dickens the most!The music was truly superb & included most of the popular Christmas carols, & which Stephen Devine insisted the audience had to join in with the Mozart Festival Chorus & sing our hearts out...which we all did & thoroughly enjoyed. The classical music was [obviously] a fair bit of Mozart plus, Handel, Vivaldi, Bach & & Mendelssohn. It was a lovely evening & has made me feel really christmassy now!
I was lucky enough to speak to Julian for a few minutes before the concert, & have to say he looks extremely well & younger than ever- despite being kept on his toes by his baby son...who is simply delightful.
Julian told me that he's about to record another Book at Bedtime for Radio 4, so keep your ears open, as well as appearing this christmas in a new BBC adaptation of 'The Lady Vanishes'.
I told him how much I had enjoyed the recent series of 'The Hour' on BBC & really hoped that they would commission Series 3. He was unaware [as yet] if they would, but we both agreed that series 2 was a big improvement on the first series, so hopefully the viewers will demand a 3rd. I thought he was terrific as sleazy Angus McCain & he said he'd rather enjoyed playing him but was a little fed up of the dirty looks he'd had from people when travelling on the Tube.......think the pervy moustache & hair may have had something to do with that!
He has also been filming 'An Innocent Abroad' in Belfast, about P.G. Wodehouse’s fall from grace and self imposed exile from England.
http://www.tvwise.co.uk/2012/11/bbc-four-orders-p-g-wodehouse-drama-an-innocent-abroad/ . I have to say he looks far too youthful, handsome & unlined to play crabby old Malcolm Muggeridge, but of course he will do it superbly as we all know he can....albeit with a lot of help from the make up department!
Once I have twiddled with the photos I took in the RAH, I'll post them on here... but they may not be great as I was at a difficult angle, behind some decorated twigs & it was by candlelight & they do seem a bit dark & rather reddish! David Bailey I 'ain't!
