Page 194 - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Coverage Book 2023-24

underdressed in trainers? Would this be a cocktail dress affair? It's safe to say I
was absolutely clueless.

I opted for an all black outfit with a blazer so I felt relatively smart, and made my
way to the venue. One thing that shocked me was how busy it actually was
there.

My original narrow-minded opinion was that it was going to be pretty quiet, and
that I'd look like a fish out of water, but I was wrong. There were loads of
different people in the audience, from old and young couples to children.

I weirdly felt a tad embarrassed making my way to my seat, because I felt like I
should be acting a certain way or be at least slightly knowledgeable on what I
was about to listen to. I picked up the programme, itinerary? (I'm not entirely
sure what it's called) and saw this:

"Rossini Overture, The Italian Girl in Algiers (08')
Walton Cello Concerto (30')
-INTERVAL-
(20')
Beethoven Symphony No.7 (36')"
Ah yes, the imposter syndrome was definitely setting in now, I had absolutely no
clue what any of that meant. Nevertheless, I sat and marvelled at the impressive
amount of different instruments, and at just how impressive the stage was.

The first 'overture' lasted eight minutes (I managed to figure that out at least)
which led to the 'Cello Concerto' for half an hour, with a twenty minute interval
that led to the main event - 'Symphony No.7' by Beethoven which lasted for
thirty six minutes.

I actually really enjoyed the overture, and soon settled in as the music filled the
room. The acoustics at the Philharmonic were amazing, and gave the

instruments a really crisp quality sound that I wasn't expecting.

The 'Cello Concerto' saw cellist Nicolas Altstaedt take to the stage. He was
absolutely incredible, and I couldn't believe how fast he played the strings.

While admiring the music, I actually felt quite guilty for being originally
judgemental, assuming I might be a little bored or that there wouldn't be many
people there. The music was goosebump-inducing at times.

There were a few moments where I found myself feeling sleepy after a long day,
perhaps because the music was calming. Since I wasn't familiar with the piece of
music, there were some points where I felt myself go off into a gaze, particularly
during the first part of the performance - but maybe that was a good sign?