Monteverdi Choir and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique led by Sir John Eliot Gardiner will stage a special one-off performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s legendary Messa da Requiem at London’s Westminster Cathedral on 18 September at 7.30pm. This unique concert will be in support of Cancer Research UK and dedicated to the memory of Richard Fitzgerald, Monteverdi Choir & Orchestras’ long-standing stage manager who sadly passed away from lung cancer in August 2016.
The Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra will be at full strength for this special performance with more than 140 musicians taking to the stage using traditional and period instruments They will be joined by a stellar line-up of international soloists: American soprano Corinne Winters, Swedish Mezzo-soprano Ann Hallenberg, Lithuanian tenor Edgaras Montvidas and Italian bass Gianluca Buratto.
This special concert marks 20 years since the Monteverdi ensembles’ last London performance of Verdi’s monumental work which took place at St Paul’s Cathedral on 13 July, 1998. The performance on 18 September will be the only UK date on the Monteverdi ensembles’ European tour that will visit a prestigious roster of major European venues. The tour begins in Wroclaw on 16 September to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Poland – and concludes at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam in November.
The Monteverdi ensembles have enjoyed great success in previous performances of this work; in addition, the group recorded the Messa da Requiem for release in 1995, the first recording using period instruments.
Tickets for this special event in support of Cancer Research UK can now be purchased via Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.co.uk /0844 844 0444.
On his former colleague Richard Fitzgerald John Eliot Gardiner said:
‘Richard was one of the most consistently level-headed, collegial and decent human beings you could ever wish to encounter. As stage manager of the Monteverdi Choir and its twin orchestras for fifteen years Richard gave loyal and dedicated service, always with good grace, tolerance and exemplary professionalism’
Claire Cullen, Cancer Research UK’s local fundraising manager for London said:
‘Monteverdi Choir & Orchestras is an absolutely inspiring organisation and we can’t thank them enough for their commitment to helping Cancer Research UK beat cancer sooner. It’s going to be a fantastic evening. One in two people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some stage in their lives, but the good news is more people are surviving the disease now than ever before. Cancer survival in the UK has doubled since the early 1970s and Cancer Research UK’s work has been at the heart of that progress. However, we have only been able to achieve this thanks to the dedication and generosity of volunteers and supporters like MCO – without whom we would not be able to fund outstanding scientists, doctors and nurses.’
