|
Barking in the chapel
• THERE is at least one precedent for John Gulliver’s article about the dog at Rosslyn Hill Chapel’s Mozart concert (Curious incident of the dog at the concert, December 4).
At a European opera house performance of Bizet’s Carmen some years ago a Pyrenean mountain dog cavorted onto the stage and was entranced by the conductor’s baton.
I was singing the baritone solos in a recorded performance of Faure’s Requiem several years ago at Rosslyn chapel when a dog started barking during my first solo and intermittently thereafter.
Not only did I ask myself who owned the mutt in question but also did it have a ticket and was its interruption a signal of approval or disapproval?
Rosslyn chapel also has a resident mouse nicknamed Rachmaninov because it first appeared during a performance of his preludes. At least this animal did not bark.
I hope you don’t think me barking to mention the above. In any case let’s hope that for John Gulliver and the audience the evening was not a complete catastrophe!
CHRISTOPHER MASON
Ellerdale Road, NW3
|
|
|
|
|
|