Laura interviewed Prom goers for the thirteenth Prom this summer, alongside Laurent and Nketchi. Verdi's Requiem was on the programme, so our reporters asked about people's expectations, about their passion for classical music and what they thought of the Proms in general. There were also interviews with members of the choirs participating in the event.
The programme for the thirteenth night of the Proms on Sunday, 24th July was Giuseppe Verdi's Messa da Requiem. This is Verdi's great sacred masterpiece, and with the BBC Symphony orchestra, the BBC's Symphony Chorus, National Chorus of Wales as well as the London Philharmonic Choir, it made for a three hundred plus strong vocal congregation, conducted by Semyon Bychkov. Prom goers were in for an exquisite performance. WinkBall reporters Laurent, Nketchi and Laura went to the event to interview those attending, asking about their hopes for the night and their experience of the evening. The work itself is highly dramatic with metaphysical motifs of heaven and hell and the mortality of man. It is written for four soloists: Marina Poplavskaya for the soprano, Mariana Pentcheva for the mezzo-soprano, Joseph Calleja for the tenor and Ferruccio Furlanetto for the bass. Furlanetto, Poplavskaya and Calleja all sang in last year's Simon Boccanegra at the Royal Opera House, so enthusiasts and fans came to admire their talents once more, while those new to them were equally impressed with the beauty of the performance.