The ornate frieze encircling the Royal Albert Hall’s roof bears the immortal words: “Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine. The wise and their works are in the hand of God."
It was, for that reason alone, the perfect setting for a concert focusing on the greatness of the universe and the glory of its Creator. But while the magnificent auditorium was not far off full, I was puzzled that the audience was largely passive. It was also mainly white, the lack of diversity within a huge Christian congregation in the heart of Kensington especially noticeable in a borough which has twice the proportion of residents from Mixed / Chinese / Other Ethnic groups compared to London, and four times the national rate.
All Souls Orchestra is undoubtedly an accomplished amateur orchestra, but the venue is far better suited to a professional orchestra. It could never be expected to achieve the thunderous volume and intensity of a symphony orchestra; or keep perfectly in tune and timing (most notably lacking in the orchestra’s rendition of ET’s ‘The Flying Theme’.)
